Posted on 02/19/2016 4:41:25 AM PST by dayglored
Gartner has released its smartphone stats for Q4 2015 and the news is especially bad for Microsoft. In Q4 2014, the software giant owned 2.8 percent of the smartphone market -- not great, but still good enough for around 10 million units sold. In the same quarter of 2015, however, Windows Phone sales fell to 4.4 million, giving the OS a mere 1.1 percent of the total market. That means that it's basically in a death spiral, as consumers and app developers alike lose interest. Microsoft's rumored Surface Phone now looks like its last hope to rescue the division.
The rest of the smartphone news ain't great either, as the overall market grew just 9.7 percent, the least since 2008. Apple, for one, saw a big dip in its market share from 20.4 percent to 17.7 percent year-over-year, which jibes with reports that iPhone sales have dropped after booming earlier in the year. The good news for Apple is that it boosted its share a touch in 2015, and that it's reportedly introducing a lower-cost iPhone to compete in the mid-range market.
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(Excerpt) Read more at engadget.com ...
Saw a similar report that said iPhones had 20% of the market. So does that mean Android phones make up 78% of the market?
I’m a beginner on Smartphones, but I love my Walmart Special ATT Go Prime (Samsung Galaxy) for $100.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Samsung-Prime-Smartphone-Unlocked-White/47362911.
Hopefully, that will bring down the price.
> Saw a similar report that said iPhones had 20% of the market. So does that mean Android phones make up 78% of the market?
Approximately, yes. Figures vary based on how the data is taken, and vary over time. But I think that’s roughly correct.
Remember that “Android” is an OS, just as iOS is an OS. There are dozens, if not scores, of manufacturers who put Android in their phones. Only one company, Apple, uses iOS. But that means the 78% is comprised of many different companies. Not all “Android” is the same. It’s a highly varied offering, depending on manufacturer.
Microsoft should focus on it’s core business. PC operating systems, and stop venturing into areas where it has no advantage.
Yep.
Who in their right mind would buy a phone from a computer software company?
Or, going back a bit, an MP3 player?
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