Well, if Android market share continues to grow like that, there will soon be no competition anymore.
It didn't take them long to become #1 in the US and if Google's numbers are correct, they could soon be selling as many devices as Nokia worldwide (23 million in Q2 2010) and take the number one spot worldwide.
@lucky1995 I hate how every reporter on this site still thinks there is hope for the iPhone to win everything.. When you're tied to one carrier, there's no hope at winning.. That is why the open Android will prevail.
@maati They're technically not #1 in the US yet. They were #1 in sales for last quarter if I'm reading the story correctly. I think the press release is a bit confusing with this statement: "Android devices collectively represented a 34% share of the US market in the quarter, and with growth of 851% Android became the largest smart phone platform in the country." That last part makes it sound like there are more android phones than iPhones or Blackberries. I do not think this is the case and I think that it is a misinterpretation of the numbers.
Understand that I own an android phone and I think it rocks, I just don't think they outnumber iPhone and RIM quite yet.
@BerkleyBerkley2011 Not if you take into consideration the people that don't research products and blindly purchase the new "hot product". Look at that HTC EVO vs Iphone 4 video that was making a buzz. It was obviously blown out of proportion but I guarantee that was a culmination of several actual conversations the BB employee has had with people in the past.
@Xtole No one phone ever will sadly but the OS is bound to do it. Once people realize that android isn't a phone, its a freaking awesome OS they will start to trickle down..
@BerkleyBerkley2011 I wouldn't say its the open Android that is winning. I'd say it is the free Android that is winning. Tie freeware to the fact that MS failed to see the turn in the market with the intro of iOS, and you have a perfect window for Android. I don't expect Windows Phone 7 to take Apple share, but I do expect it to cut into RIM and Android. However, a decent freeware will always win and if Google continues to update it's OS, I expect that Android will be the mainstream for the budget conscious buyer, which is always the majority of consumers.
@Xtole Android, soon to be the new MS. Everyone will have it and the mainstream will be Android and the niche Apple. However, Apple will make money and Android will be an expense item on Google's PL statement. To be considered normal will be to own Android. To be considered out of the mainstream, Apple. As it was and as it will always be. Apple innovates best when it considers itself an underdog.
Mobile is the new frontier for malware, so I'll be perfectly happy seeing my iPhone sit at #2 or #3. Let Android become the Windows of mobile, with all the pain and misery that comes with it. Thank you Google.
How does smaller = more profitable? The reason Apple makes a lot of money is because they sell a lot of products. The fact that Android over took them and RIM in marketshare shows a lot of progress for Google and it's phone OS. Android FTW.
Their revenue stream is based off of advertising dollars, not on OS sales. Their whole point is collecting as much information as legally possible with their free OS and then in turn marketing that to advertisers with the incentive of providing them focused-based advertising.
So to take shots at them for giving away their OS for free, is kind of missing the point of the business model that Google has chosen to take. In my opinion, if Android OS continues to grow as well as it has and the smartphone market in general continues to blossom, Google is going to position themselves as the largest OS distributor and therefore the best opportunity for companies to market through via focused-based ads. This will be fantastic for Google's bottom line when all is said and done!
@canarsieville Depends on what you 'winning'. By all means you are right if you mean the total number of shipments by all handset makers vs iPhone shipments by Apple. Apple profits grew twice as much as Google profits YOY. And before you tell me that Apple is overvalued, remember Apple earned more than Google and APPLE P/E ratio is lower than GOOG P/E ratio. Apple "p0wns" Google in profit and will surpass Microsoft within a year. That, in my book, is winning. Downrank me all you want. We will see in a year which company makes more profit. I, and my APPL shared will laugh all the way to the bank and you can keep "winning".
@HotFuzz Thats exactly I wanted to say. I'm happy Android is doing better. Even though MS OS is much much more popular (doesn't mean better) then OS X, still OS X is far better, safer and crash free.
@Wesscoast @kent99 You two obviously have no idea how Google has managed to become as big as they are. Have you not noticed how Google gives everything away for free? Google makes almost 100% of it's money through advertising. The larger it's reach the more $$ it makes. They don't care about making any money on Android directly....they care about having the largest userbase in the mobile world (especially search) and marketing towards them. They are well on their way of becoming the "Google" of mobile...ironically.
And I will be laughing all the way to my Apple stock as you and so many other people overpay for your electronics! Thank you so much!! Your lack of education and believing that somehow Apple makes a better "experience" will help fund both my children's education as well as my retirement fund!! I do sometimes feel guilty taking your money...but I mean that is the American way!
Malware on phones? Doubtful. None of the platforms allow for applications to install themselves/other applications. Android also shows you what each app requires for permissions so you can be the judge.
Malware will remain on PCs and PCs alone. FYI, I would not classify the "ssh worm" that came around the iPhone circles a piece of "malware."
As for the growth figure, Android has grown the most without a doubt. Whether or not iOS/WinMo grew too is almost irrelevant. Android growth is the highest meaning that it has gained more of the market share in general.
People forgot that android is not free, HTC pays Microsoft for every android they make. Do you see any android fanboy talk about google's earning? lol. I will keep holding my apple stock as apple never have monopoly on anything, but they just keep making tons of money with stuff they sell. Cannot make money with google stock since they are only focusing on holding their 100% share of internet search and ad, oh ... and keep pissing off Chinese.
@kent99 You have one big flaw here. MS is leading with Windows because they created an environment where you have to have Windows to be able to work with someone else using Windows. Theres no room to work your way in because of the lock in and the fact that you can't find a computer on the shelf with another OS. Thats not the case for Android however. People are buying it simply because it has more to offer than iOS. Where Apple is able to hang in there by actually providing a better OS than Windows they won't be able to do that against Android. MS is a big sluggish software company unlike Google which is an agile software company. Apple isn't much of a software company at all. They just design good hardware and UI's . That simply not going to cut it.
@kent99 You have another flaw in your logic. Somehow you have tied Android being free to the price of the devices and you believe the budget conscious consumer will be the ones purchasing the devices. Have you looked at any Android devices? The high end ones cost the same as the iPhone. Android being free is a benefit to the manufacturers which is why they push the handsets out more than anything now. The consumer is still paying the same price as the iPhone but they are getting better hardware specs and a better OS.
And according to the last comscore numbers Android is currently cutting into everybody's market share as it was the only one to grow while the rest shrank. WP7 can very well cut into the iPhones share as well.
Unfortunately 3 digit growth percentages are misleading since you are doing a comparison ratio with what is essentially 0 in the denominator. The growth numbers come down rapidly once the numbers reach some stability - it was same for Apple (now at 61%) same for Nokia (now at 41%) and same for RIM (now at 41%). You will notice how as the device manufacturers stay in the market more, their growth numbers tend to move towards the industry growth average. Same will happen for Android around 2012 so don't expect the same explosive growth numbers after that. I think Nokia numbers will move up again in 2011, possibly same for RIM - till then they just took advantage of the huge volumes of phones they sell as a cushion.
@mjkxxl Yes, that is the American way, thank you so much for being one of the first to admit it. And of course joining taking other people's money is belittling and ridiculing people for their opinion. Quite how you can accuse someone else of being uneducated when you can't even distinguish between opinion and fact is beyond me.
And what does that make you? (I'll give you a hint - it rhymes with 'danboy').
@BerkleyBerkley2011 a win for customers is a great platform.. a win for business is stock value and profit margin... apple wouldn't release a low end phone and devalue its brand just for bragging rights
Ignoring Symbian of course because few people regard Symbian devices as smartphones.
I don't get why people think that one company needs to have a monopoly. Choice is good.
If you are a business user and want a keyboard, get a Blackberry. If you like music, games, apps and an integrated experience get an iPhone. If you want a phone centered around a social UI get a WinPho 7 device. If you want freedom to choose what apps you want with most of the iPhone experience, get one of the better Android devices. If you're a girl get a Palm Pre.
So long as everyone but Microsoft stay in the lead, I think we're good because the rest all share common goals. Webkit browsers, UNIX OS.
Just like in the desktop market where it's Dell, HP, Acer, Sony etc with a combined 90% running Windows vs Apple's
"Ignoring Symbian of course because few people regard Symbian devices as smartphones."
Exactly what is the definition of a Smartphone OS? Symbian has its shortcomings but calling it a dumbphone OS while insisting the other crippled OSs are somehow smartphone OS is stretching it a bit too far, don't you think?
@suicidebob My point exactly. It very much depends what initial report its based on, and you know, way to take 1 figure, see it posted on multiple techblogs and jump to conclusions, kid.
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Competition... I like!
@lucky1995
@lucky1995
Well, if Android market share continues to grow like that, there will soon be no competition anymore.
It didn't take them long to become #1 in the US and if Google's numbers are correct, they could soon be selling as many devices as Nokia worldwide (23 million in Q2 2010) and take the number one spot worldwide.
Amazing...
@lucky1995
I hate how every reporter on this site still thinks there is hope for the iPhone to win everything.. When you're tied to one carrier, there's no hope at winning.. That is why the open Android will prevail.
@lucky1995
Most of the Android fans have left Engadget for Android Central.
@maati They're technically not #1 in the US yet. They were #1 in sales for last quarter if I'm reading the story correctly. I think the press release is a bit confusing with this statement: "Android devices collectively represented a 34% share of the US market in the quarter, and with growth of 851% Android became the largest smart phone platform in the country." That last part makes it sound like there are more android phones than iPhones or Blackberries. I do not think this is the case and I think that it is a misinterpretation of the numbers.
Understand that I own an android phone and I think it rocks, I just don't think they outnumber iPhone and RIM quite yet.
@Kanga
Also, what's up with the picture being cut off? Was that Evo 4G too big to fit? (Maybe they will fix it and we can all ignore this comment)...
Next milestone... pass Apple's iPhone. GO GO Android!
@BerkleyBerkley2011 Not if you take into consideration the people that don't research products and blindly purchase the new "hot product". Look at that HTC EVO vs Iphone 4 video that was making a buzz. It was obviously blown out of proportion but I guarantee that was a culmination of several actual conversations the BB employee has had with people in the past.
iPhowned
@Xtole No one phone ever will sadly but the OS is bound to do it. Once people realize that android isn't a phone, its a freaking awesome OS they will start to trickle down..
A chart with numbers and percentages usually helps than a long worded essay. But in case, Android is ruling !
@BerkleyBerkley2011 and that is why soon why it will apparently be opened to T-mobile and Verizon, it won't.
It's a matter of when not if.
But congrats Android, your multicarrier advantage has taken you into #1.
just don't be at all surprised when iPhone goes multi carier of what happens.
@BerkleyBerkley2011 I wouldn't say its the open Android that is winning. I'd say it is the free Android that is winning. Tie freeware to the fact that MS failed to see the turn in the market with the intro of iOS, and you have a perfect window for Android. I don't expect Windows Phone 7 to take Apple share, but I do expect it to cut into RIM and Android. However, a decent freeware will always win and if Google continues to update it's OS, I expect that Android will be the mainstream for the budget conscious buyer, which is always the majority of consumers.
@BerkleyBerkley2011
"When you're tied to one carrier, there's no hope at winning.."
One carrier AND one manufacturer.... So, Apple may not "win" in sales, but they will "win" in profit.
@Xtole Android, soon to be the new MS. Everyone will have it and the mainstream will be Android and the niche Apple. However, Apple will make money and Android will be an expense item on Google's PL statement. To be considered normal will be to own Android. To be considered out of the mainstream, Apple. As it was and as it will always be. Apple innovates best when it considers itself an underdog.
@kent99 Budget and Higher end.
@BerkleyBerkley2011
Apple still achieved growth in parity with he rest of the market, so not sure you know what you're talking about.
Way to take 1 figure and jump to conclusions, kid.
@suicidebob This coming from the person that assumes android owners 'generally' have lower incomes.. Haha.
Mobile is the new frontier for malware, so I'll be perfectly happy seeing my iPhone sit at #2 or #3. Let Android become the Windows of mobile, with all the pain and misery that comes with it. Thank you Google.
What's up with the pic? Isn't the wallpaper Samsung's and the phone HTC's?
@maati
Ha.. now if only Android made smartphones... OH WAIT... they make websites... haha...
Go iAds..
@Ryan Deen
How does smaller = more profitable? The reason Apple makes a lot of money is because they sell a lot of products. The fact that Android over took them and RIM in marketshare shows a lot of progress for Google and it's phone OS. Android FTW.
@Xtole
Next milestone... Google stock falls even further, giving away the most popular Linux OS for... free. .... :S
@rmbrown09
AH yes; I can see the slogan now:
No calls, more carriers.
@Wesscoast
Their revenue stream is based off of advertising dollars, not on OS sales. Their whole point is collecting as much information as legally possible with their free OS and then in turn marketing that to advertisers with the incentive of providing them focused-based advertising.
So to take shots at them for giving away their OS for free, is kind of missing the point of the business model that Google has chosen to take. In my opinion, if Android OS continues to grow as well as it has and the smartphone market in general continues to blossom, Google is going to position themselves as the largest OS distributor and therefore the best opportunity for companies to market through via focused-based ads. This will be fantastic for Google's bottom line when all is said and done!
@BerkleyBerkley2011 It doesn't matter when windows phone 7 comes out android will be split and when IPhone goes to verison everyone will get it.
@canarsieville Depends on what you 'winning'. By all means you are right if you mean the total number of shipments by all handset makers vs iPhone shipments by Apple. Apple profits grew twice as much as Google profits YOY. And before you tell me that Apple is overvalued, remember Apple earned more than Google and APPLE P/E ratio is lower than GOOG P/E ratio. Apple "p0wns" Google in profit and will surpass Microsoft within a year. That, in my book, is winning. Downrank me all you want. We will see in a year which company makes more profit. I, and my APPL shared will laugh all the way to the bank and you can keep "winning".
@HotFuzz Thats exactly I wanted to say. I'm happy Android is doing better. Even though MS OS is much much more popular (doesn't mean better) then OS X, still OS X is far better, safer and crash free.
@Raytem
Crash free you say? Is that why my Macbook went into a perpetual spinning radar loop when I tried to update iPhoto then?
No system is crash free.
@Wesscoast @kent99
You two obviously have no idea how Google has managed to become as big as they are. Have you not noticed how Google gives everything away for free?
Google makes almost 100% of it's money through advertising. The larger it's reach the more $$ it makes. They don't care about making any money on Android directly....they care about having the largest userbase in the mobile world (especially search) and marketing towards them. They are well on their way of becoming the "Google" of mobile...ironically.
Get a clue
@maati Someone on this site assured me that android was dying already and would be history when the windows phones were out.
Could they be wrong?
@Kanga
Of course, they've all been replaced by anti-apple fanboys.
@JojoMojo
And I will be laughing all the way to my Apple stock as you and so many other people overpay for your electronics! Thank you so much!! Your lack of education and believing that somehow Apple makes a better "experience" will help fund both my children's education as well as my retirement fund!! I do sometimes feel guilty taking your money...but I mean that is the American way!
@HotFuzz
Malware on phones? Doubtful. None of the platforms allow for applications to install themselves/other applications. Android also shows you what each app requires for permissions so you can be the judge.
Malware will remain on PCs and PCs alone. FYI, I would not classify the "ssh worm" that came around the iPhone circles a piece of "malware."
As for the growth figure, Android has grown the most without a doubt. Whether or not iOS/WinMo grew too is almost irrelevant. Android growth is the highest meaning that it has gained more of the market share in general.
@fpad77
Well, that's pretty much fact; I can point you to numerous reports showing this to be the case, but maybe you should just Google it?
Facts are facts, whether you like them or not
@lucky1995
Lol at all the angry Apple lovers who are already commenting :) :p
@lucky1995
Android is spreading like a virus....
Now if we can only get more GSM devices worth talking about... an GSM EVO would be nice...HTC...
@suicidebob
Yes ...
People forgot that android is not free, HTC pays Microsoft for every android they make. Do you see any android fanboy talk about google's earning? lol. I will keep holding my apple stock as apple never have monopoly on anything, but they just keep making tons of money with stuff they sell. Cannot make money with google stock since they are only focusing on holding their 100% share of internet search and ad, oh ... and keep pissing off Chinese.
suck it, steve! you cut in line for a liver and now the chickens are coming home to roost.
@kent99 You have one big flaw here. MS is leading with Windows because they created an environment where you have to have Windows to be able to work with someone else using Windows. Theres no room to work your way in because of the lock in and the fact that you can't find a computer on the shelf with another OS. Thats not the case for Android however. People are buying it simply because it has more to offer than iOS. Where Apple is able to hang in there by actually providing a better OS than Windows they won't be able to do that against Android. MS is a big sluggish software company unlike Google which is an agile software company. Apple isn't much of a software company at all. They just design good hardware and UI's . That simply not going to cut it.
@kent99 You have another flaw in your logic. Somehow you have tied Android being free to the price of the devices and you believe the budget conscious consumer will be the ones purchasing the devices. Have you looked at any Android devices? The high end ones cost the same as the iPhone. Android being free is a benefit to the manufacturers which is why they push the handsets out more than anything now. The consumer is still paying the same price as the iPhone but they are getting better hardware specs and a better OS.
And according to the last comscore numbers Android is currently cutting into everybody's market share as it was the only one to grow while the rest shrank. WP7 can very well cut into the iPhones share as well.
@InnocentEd No, I do know how google makes money. However, as Google said, Android $ is insignificant to their operations.
@maati
Unfortunately 3 digit growth percentages are misleading since you are doing a comparison ratio with what is essentially 0 in the denominator. The growth numbers come down rapidly once the numbers reach some stability - it was same for Apple (now at 61%) same for Nokia (now at 41%) and same for RIM (now at 41%). You will notice how as the device manufacturers stay in the market more, their growth numbers tend to move towards the industry growth average. Same will happen for Android around 2012 so don't expect the same explosive growth numbers after that.
I think Nokia numbers will move up again in 2011, possibly same for RIM - till then they just took advantage of the huge volumes of phones they sell as a cushion.
@mjkxxl Yes, that is the American way, thank you so much for being one of the first to admit it. And of course joining taking other people's money is belittling and ridiculing people for their opinion. Quite how you can accuse someone else of being uneducated when you can't even distinguish between opinion and fact is beyond me.
And what does that make you? (I'll give you a hint - it rhymes with 'danboy').
@BerkleyBerkley2011 a win for customers is a great platform.. a win for business is stock value and profit margin... apple wouldn't release a low end phone and devalue its brand just for bragging rights
RIM: 41.7%, Apple: 24.4%, Microsoft: 13.2%, Palm: 4.8%, Android: 13%
Ignoring Symbian of course because few people regard Symbian devices as smartphones.
I don't get why people think that one company needs to have a monopoly. Choice is good.
If you are a business user and want a keyboard, get a Blackberry. If you like music, games, apps and an integrated experience get an iPhone. If you want a phone centered around a social UI get a WinPho 7 device. If you want freedom to choose what apps you want with most of the iPhone experience, get one of the better Android devices. If you're a girl get a Palm Pre.
So long as everyone but Microsoft stay in the lead, I think we're good because the rest all share common goals. Webkit browsers, UNIX OS.
Just like in the desktop market where it's Dell, HP, Acer, Sony etc with a combined 90% running Windows vs Apple's
@TinWard
"Ignoring Symbian of course because few people regard Symbian devices as smartphones."
Exactly what is the definition of a Smartphone OS? Symbian has its shortcomings but calling it a dumbphone OS while insisting the other crippled OSs are somehow smartphone OS is stretching it a bit too far, don't you think?
@TinWard
"Ignoring Symbian of course because few people regard Symbian devices as smartphones."
Aside from all the major analysts that is.
Silly boy.
@suicidebob My point exactly. It very much depends what initial report its based on, and you know, way to take 1 figure, see it posted on multiple techblogs and jump to conclusions, kid.