Android, the mobile platform owned by Google, now accounts for nearly 50 per cent of the global smartphone market, according to new figures published by research firm Canalys.
Nearly 110 million Android-powered units were shipped in the second quarter of 2011, up 73 per cent on last year with Asia leading the way in consumption.
Since it launched in 2008, Android has become the standard for most handset manufacturers including HTC, LG, Motorola and Sony Ericsson. Apple’s big-selling iPhone runs on its own operating system (iOS). Nokia also uses a proprietary system, called Symbian.
According to mobile industry journalist Stuart Dredge, the platform’s success is down to the clutch of competing manufacturers all bringing different and sophisticated mobile handsets to market, as well as benefitting from the problems faced by Nokia and Research In Motion, makers of the BlackBerry, with both companies suffering a decline in market share.
"Android might feel like it has come from nowhere to take nearly 50 per cent of the market,” says Dredge “but Google has been working hard on partnerships with handset makers and operators, who are all looking to be a credible rival to the iPhone."
Will Findlater, Editor of Stuff Magazine (UK), agrees. “Android's meteoric rise is down to the diversity of Android smartphones on offer. Whether you're on a budget or want an iPhone-busting powerhouse, there's a handset that'll fit you. This is something other platforms can't compete with.”
The research also estimated that Apple’s iOS is now the second most popular platform globally, moving ahead of Nokia with a market share of around 20 per cent. More than 20 million iPhones were sold during the second quarter of 2011, making Apple the world’s leading smartphone manufacturer. Much of the iPhone’s success is founded on the popularity of its App Store, offering consumers a huge variety (more than 400,000, according to Apple) of applications from gaming to music to navigation.
Android offers similar apps via its Android Market, along with a tranche of web services powered by Google. However, future success for the Android platform may depend on the evolution of its apps market.
"The big task now for Google is to ensure app developers can capitalise on Android's rapid growth,” says Dredge. “Many are still concentrating on iPhone and iPad because they feel they can make more money there. Google needs to continue improving its Android Market Store and payment options, while also reducing the headaches of developing apps and games for the hundreds of different Android devices."