Android Keeps Taking Market Share, Ruffling Apple, Nokia, RIM

IBD's Click ^ | 1/28/2011 | Brian Deagon

[Slyscribe]

Android continues to take market share in smart phones, according to research firms presenting year-end tabulations this week.

Getting a clear snapshot on Android is somewhat complicated in that the platform is spread across multiple vendors, including HTC, Motorola Mobility(MMI) and Samsung.

The market for smart phone operating systems currently is dominated by Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone platform, Nokia’s (NOK) Symbian and Research In Motion’s (RIMM) BlackBerry OS. Collectively, though, the Google (GOOG) -backed Android operating system continues to move up the charts.

[Nervous Tick]

Research firm eMarketer estimates Android, in the U.S. smart phone market, rose to 24% market share in 2010 from 6% the year before. It sees Android rising to 31% next year, above Apple's 30%.

You don't say! That's gonna cause some heartburn to the Apple-cult fanbois around here. :-)

[WVKayaker]

The market for smart phone operating systems currently is dominated by Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone platform...

... and the rest is hype! Free OS vs. iOS. One does as described. The other might!...

[Dr. Sivana]

Research firm Strategy Analytics in a new report said Apple, Nokia and RIM were less dominant in 2010, as their market share slipped to 67% from 73% [ . . .]

Nokia’s share of the global smart phone market fell to 30% in the fourth quarter from 39% a year ago.

So...

Apple, Nokia, and RIM fell 6% total.

Nokia all by itself fell 9%

I doubt RIM has gained ground. That would imply that Apple has increased at least another 3%, making the headline misleading. Oh, and Apple has been doing it all with one carrier. Android will certainly snatch much of the low hanging fruit of Symbian Windows-whatever and "other." as well as sales of those who need a carrier besides AT&T or Verizon, or don't want a contract (There are prepaid Android phones, iPhones have to be finagled to work on a prepaid system).

Apple will get the bulk of the customers they want.

[ExtremeUnction]

That's gonna cause some heartburn to the Apple-cult fanbois around here.

I just got the HTC EVO. great phone. Apple may have been first but my new phone whips it.

[Dr. Sivana]

It sees Android rising to 31% next year, above Apple's 30%.

The article conflates hard data of Android's rise and Nokia's fall, with a prediction of sales this year. The two don't go together, especially as no one knows with certainty how many Verizon users will go to iPhone, or what the iPhone 5 will be. It was not hard to deduce that Apple has not lost as a result of Android's introduction, except in terms of a slowdown in growth, which was inevitable anyway.

BTW, I have nothing against Android, I'd like the option of a tactile keyboard and a USB port. I just don't see Anddroid as an iOS killer. I see it as a Symbian (and by extension a Windows 7-CE) killer. Android's entry is good for Apple, keeps costs down a bit, and puts pressure on other providers to not make the stupid phone company (can you hear me Verizon?) the star of the phone.

[Nervous Tick]

I just got the HTC EVO. great phone.

Is that one of the phones that f'n prints money?

[Cyber Liberty]

“I don’t care.”

[astyanax]

That video was hilarious!
I’ve often thought that if Apple threw their logo on an 8-track player, you’d still have people lined up around the block for it.

[Nervous Tick]

“I don’t care.”

OK... then you'll appreciate this one...

warning: profanity

[Cyber Liberty]

LOL...

[NoLibZone]

Google is Android.

Google is uber left.

[Dr. Sivana]

Is that one of the phones that f'n prints money?

You should have issued a language warning for your link.

[Nervous Tick]

>> You should have issued a language warning for your link.

Yeah, sorry, my bad. One of the two people in the world that haven’t seen it yet might have stumbled onto this thread.

[Swordmaker]

Android taking smartphone market share at year end... PING!

Please! No Flame Wars!
Discuss technical issues, software, and hardware.
Don't attack people!

Don't respond to the Anti-Apple Thread Trolls!
PLEASE IGNORE THEM!!!

Apple v. Android Ping!

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.

[Swordmaker]

You don't say! That's gonna cause some heartburn to the Apple-cult fanbois around here. :-)

and US Android smart phone cell phone sales suddenly stalled when Verizon announced the addition of the iPhone4 to its stable of phone offerings starting February 10th... and started a rapid decline. A very GRAPHIC rapid decline from the date of the announcement in January.

Motorola made an announcement of a dismal first quarter guidance for sales and profits of their Android line... as did LG, Samsung and other makers of Android phones.

On the otherhand, Verizon for it's part made a guidance of an expected 11 million iPhone4 sales for the year...

[Swordmaker]

Apple’s acting CEO, in its Financial Conference call last week stated that they could have sold far more iPhone4s in 2010 had they been able to ramp up manufacturing fast enough to meet demand.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

Another Apple Cult “correction” I see.......

Android Rules!

[Tolsti2]

The real shame is that Palm’s WebOS, which was way superior when released, died in all this.

Oh well, Apple’s gonna be a closed market niche once again. I predict they’ll stick at 20% while Android makes up the bulk for the coming few decades.

Apple is a weird company, that’s all that can be said. They do great and then get the Not Invented Here mentality so hardcore that it’s ridiculous.

[Rev DMV]

OK, now that’s funny...

It transforms into a plane and fly’s you there....