Google Android Named The World's Best-Selling Smartphone Platform In Q4 2010 (REPORT)

The global smartphone market is booming, and Google's Android platform was leading the pack during the fourth quarter 2010, according to a recent report issued on Monday by Canalys Smart Phone Analysis services.

Canalys reports that 32.9 million Android-equipped smartphones shipped worldwide during the fourth quarter. Trailing Google, Nokia shipped 31.0 million Symbian devices in the year-end quarter. These Android figures also beat out shipments of Apple (#3), RIM (#4) and Microsoft (#5) phones. Apple, for example, shipped 16.2 million iPhones during the last quarter of 2010.

As a whole, the smartphone market grew 89 percent year-over-year since 2009, with nearly 300 million units shipped in 2010, according to Canalys. Nokia remains the global leader among smartphone makers, with a 28 percent market share.

"This marks the first time in 10 years that another smartphone operating system has outsold Symbian -- and as fast as Android is growing, it most definitely will not be the last," writes Boy Genius Report.

Google's open-source software has been a big hit with smartphone makers, such as LG, Samsung, Acer and HTC. "Unlike Apple or Nokia, Google does not make its own phone hardware but instead offers its Android operating system free to other phone makers who can adapt it to suit their devices," says Reuters. "As a result, Android has become the standard software for many phone makers. U.S. phone maker Motorola Inc has even managed to stage a comeback of sorts by focusing solely on Android after years of heavy market share losses."

Android also became the leading platform in the United States during the fourth quarter of 2010, when 12.1 million Google-OS devices were sold. Canalys analyst Tim Shepherd predicted that Apple will continue to face tough competition from the Android platform. "The US landscape will shift dramatically this coming year, as a result of the Verizon-Apple agreement," Shepherd said in a press release. "Verizon will move its focus away from the Droid range, but the overall market impact will mean less carrier-exclusive deals, while increasing the AT&T opportunity for Android vendors, such as HTC, Motorola and Samsung."

Have a look through our slideshow of Canalys's fourth quarter data for the top five smartphone platforms. For a more complete overview of global cell phone sales, view our slideshow of IDC's top five cell phone makers of 2010.

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Q4 2010 shipments: 3.1 million Percent share: 3.1% Q4 2009 shipments: 3.9 million Percent share: 7.2% Growth Q4 '10/Q4 '09: -20.3%

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Q4 2010 shipments: 3.1 million
Percent share: 3.1%
Q4 2009 shipments: 3.9 million
Percent share: 7.2%
Growth Q4 '10/Q4 '09: -20.3%

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Comments

[FYLTHPIG]

01:37 PM on 02/11/2011

My Android is friends with my iMac.

[fahrenheit451]

02:01 PM on 02/02/2011

I recently switched from a BlackBerry Storm2 to a Droid X. And while I considered getting an iPhone, the lack of Adobe Flash and a non-removeable battery turned me off, especially given the lack of staying power in myiPod battery. Apple needs a good swift kick of competition, and it seems that Android's the one doing the kicking.

[JasonDaPsycho]

12:01 PM on 02/02/2011

To do list:
Sell iPhone
Switch to a Droid

[iamvalid]

10:41 AM on 02/02/2011

Apple Users: Damn you all. We are the free thinkers! Live with it.

uggh, alright if I say that Steve?

[DrReve]

03:10 AM on 02/02/2011

2 Points:

1. Apple,(even in the pc market) has a much larger profit margin than any other manufacturer. That makes them and their investors happy, period. They have less than 10% of the pc market, yet generate the most profit. If they increase their market share by just 1%, it adds billions to their value. It's great to have room for growth because you can keep on growing.

2. Toyota outsells Mercedes, BUT you can't compare an E-Class to a Corolla. If Apple wanted to keep the smartphone market share lead it would practically give it away and have other manufacturer use it in their subpar offerings, they don't. That's not the focus, neither is it for any luxury brand. You get what you pay for.

[JohnnyAce Okeke]

03:26 AM on 02/02/2011

Apple is NOT a Mercedes. Quit being a fanboy. Luxury? You gotta be kidding me. Just admit you're with a dying bandwagon. {{-_-}}

[Mools]

10:31 AM on 02/02/2011

A dying bandwagon? Apple still controls like 30% of the cell market. Blackberry controls another 30% and all other cell phone companies have to share the remaining 40% of the market.

So while Android, the software, may make up more than 30% of the market, the phone are what people are buying and the phones are the real product. And so Apple and Blackberry still have a very commanding hold on that market regardless of Android. They are ALL doing very well in their own respective ways.

[John Kramarz]

08:04 AM on 02/03/2011

The bandwagon grew 85% last quarter y/y.

selling iPhones as fast as they can make them.

[GeorgieMark]

10:43 AM on 02/03/2011

Agreed on one with an added twist. Apple is not a hardware manufacturer, it designs the computer it doesn't even assemble it. All parts are made by Sony, Samsung, LG, Intel, Nvidia etc. The same components are found in other computers as well.

Where apple makes a killing is software.

I'd hardly call Apple's products as the gadget equivalent of a Mercedes. If anything their main target group has been designers and students; in general people who want to be hip and in, whereas Mercedes is for older, financially well off, conservative (not in the political sense), male (mostly) individuals.

Furthermore, apple's strategy of maintaining a draconian grip on both software and hardware very nearly killed them in the 80s computer wars. Back then they did have a very successful product (the Macintosh) then came Microsoft with a horde of PC makers and literally took over the market.

Microsoft's OS was a technological dwarf in comparison to MacOS. The irony is that Microsoft essentially kept them alive in 1997 (when apple made no ipods no itunes only the Mac computer line and a lot of products that tanked) with a whopping 150 million investment, in exchange for Internet Explorer on Mac!

I believe that we will relive the scenario of MacOS vs MS-OS once more, only this time round the chief rival offering (Android OS) is at least as good as iOS.

[Prateek Panchal]

02:55 AM on 02/02/2011

The good thing about android is it is very innovative product. It is open source and has many free apps to download.
I was using IPhone but now i am shifted to android. It is so better than other gadgets that i have used.

Thanks for sharing.

http://www.laptops4review.com/viewsonic-viewpad-100.html

[iamvalid]

10:28 AM on 02/02/2011

Well put. Android is innovative and that roils Apple's ass. Apple, in its current state is the equivalent of Scientology for technology. Their followers are brainwashed beyond all hope. Flash may well be bloated, but it still beats anything Apple has introduced to date.

Apple's hope. Mandate Homeland Security to arrest anyone who fails to follow guidelines created by the Church Of Apple. There is just something about free and open source that many can not comprehend. Steve Jobs is no Linus Torvalds. Never was, never will be.

[MaxPowerXP]

12:14 AM on 02/02/2011

iPhone: Where Would You Like Us to Allow You to Go Today?

[Sizzmo]

03:01 PM on 02/01/2011

Apple will never grow as fast as Android... I really dont know what kind of things they can add that an Android phone doesn't already have.

[MaxPowerXP]

12:13 AM on 02/02/2011

They can start by letting their customers do what they want to with the device they paid for. That would be a great addition.

[Mools]

10:28 AM on 02/02/2011

Sure...but then again you paid for a device that doesn't let you do what you want. In other words, you went in knowing what you were getting and decided to pay the money anyway. So why be mad at Apple for offering a product people want and are buying. Isn't that what capitalism is all about...supply and demand and making money? Or is capitalism only cool when everyone buys what YOU think they should buy, or if only the products YOU want are available and others have no choice but to buy them.

[JohnnyAce Okeke]

12:25 PM on 02/01/2011

Numbers don't lie. Take that, iSheep. {{-_-}}

[Mat Biscan]

09:57 AM on 02/01/2011

I replaced my iPhone with an Android phone and never looked back. I'm on my 2nd Android phone. The OS keeps getting better and better. I love that it isn't locked down like the iPhone, I can choose my own carrier and there's no iTunes managing everything.

Here's my reasons for switching:

1. My computer hard drive died and had to be replaced. In order to sync my phone with the new computer, I would have had to erase everything on the phone. There was no way to get anything off the phone without syncing with iTunes. iPhoto was not a help, either.

2. Someone hacked my iTunes account and bought two hundred dollars worth of gift certificates. There was no way to contact iTunes or Apple about it other than email. After a couple of days, they got back and said they couldn't help and that I should change my CC and password and contact my bank. I removed my CC info and wasn't able to download anything off the app store, even if it was free.

3. I hate iTunes, hate that it has to manage the phone. I never use it.

4. Android isn't so restrictive, the app store is not restrictive, the phones don't drop your calls and you can plug it in like a hard drive to manage the files on your phone. Any photo capturing software will work on it, too, just like a camera.

Having said all this, I still like using MacBooks.

[gvscmr]

08:45 PM on 02/01/2011

Cool... What phone do you use Mat? I have an HTC from T-Mobile and I love android and that is the beauty... If I want to change to a different hardware vendor I can. With iPhone it's either Apple one flavor or... Apple one flavor.

[Mat Biscan]

10:19 AM on 02/02/2011

I had an HTC Nexus One. It was nice, but it was the AT&T version. I decided to move to T-Mobile because they're service is less expensive and gave me more. ($85/mo for 400 minutes, 500 texts, unlimited data from AT&T v.s. $59/mo for 500 minutes, unlimited text and data from T-Mobile). With that, I had to get a new phone, so I got a Nexus S. I wanted the pure Android experience. The MyTouch 4G was nice. So is the Samsung Galaxy S (which is pretty much what a Nexus S is).

Btw, did you know AT&T changed their prices for new users? Used to be $35 for unlimited data. Now it's $35 for 200mb. $65 for 5gb. Have fun with your Netflix streaming, iPhone users! Not sure if this will change when current user's contracts are up.

[Mat Biscan]

10:21 AM on 02/02/2011

Also, the WiFi hotspot is probably the best reason to get Android. I use that all the time. I've worked in the park, at bars that don't have WiFi... even used it to access the internet on my laptop while on road trips (while I'm not driving of course).

[John Kramarz]

01:01 AM on 02/02/2011

I learned a lot from this!
back up, back up, back up!

2. Ever hear of the phone? 1-800-MY APPLE

3. I love everything on the phone being managed through iTunes
I don't have to wait for a carrier to let me upgrade firmware over the air. I can do it myself the minute Apple issues an update.
All my contacts, calendars,notes are not only on the mac at home, but using Mobile Me, all our phones and laptops synch all the time. It's great!

[Mat Biscan]

10:15 AM on 02/02/2011

You don't actually have to wait for an Android update to come over the air. You can manually download and install if you'd like.

[Mools]

09:52 AM on 02/01/2011

I have an HTC Desire which is running Android 2.2 and it is awesome, but I think it is pretty unfair to compare ALL phones running a certain software to sales of branded phones like blackberry or iphone. If you break it down by the companies who own the most marketshare for PHONES, as opposed to software, apple and blackberry are still controlling a commanding chunk of the market.

So while I agree Android is pretty awesome for cell software (and I hope they start making PC OS's as well), it is misleading to compare software sales to hardware sales.

[gvscmr]

08:46 AM on 02/01/2011

LOL 8 Months ago I told all the little Steve iJobs iZealots on this site that this would happen in a year or less and they laughed... Who's laughing now? What Google has done to Apple in the Smarphone arena is Exactly what Microsoft did to Apple 20+ years ago in the PC arena.

I guess they did not learn their lesson well enough the first time around so they decided to get another dose of lesson learning again

[JasonMcl]

09:15 AM on 02/01/2011

"Some things in this thread don't react well to bullets"

[gvscmr]

08:41 PM on 02/01/2011

Perhaps so Jason ;-)

[Equinator]

07:14 PM on 02/01/2011

I remember when the IBM PC was the industry standard. It died for the same reason you stated above, primarily complacent arrogance.

[gvscmr]

08:35 PM on 02/01/2011

Yes you are correct, although the PC is a small part of what IBM is/was. They made their money on the big machines and more so consulting and services.

Do you recall the PC Jr.? and the ads with Charlie Chaplin?

[iamvalid]

10:35 AM on 02/02/2011

Even the IMB PC was open in that IMB released technological documentation and offered a slew of development products. In the early eighties, that was amazingly forward thinking.

Apple came along with a pocket full of borrowed technology and immediately started to clamp a lid on anything that went out their doors. History is repeating itself and I have to admit, I'll be cracking a sly grin when they go down again. As long as there is an uninformed public, companies like Apple will find a niche for their products.

SONY, are you listening?

[helioszephyr]

08:20 AM on 02/01/2011

They should be #1, they're an "open" system running on numerous hardware platforms.
The real trick is, what are their net margins... profits.
More impressive is taking more than 50% of the profits (not gross revenue) out of the entire market on a single hardware platform and closed system, by a single company... that's impressive. The premise that "open" is always better than "closed" is a myth... we're not in the 80's, consumer perspectives, needs and wants have changed.

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/01/31/apple-is-still-sucking-most-of-the-profit-out-of-the-mobile-phone-business/

[gorash]

08:26 AM on 02/01/2011

Which means that Apple is ripping off their customers the most, and Apple fanboys are apparently happy about this.

[helioszephyr]

08:57 AM on 02/01/2011

your assumption is what, that other tech companies don't want to increase their margins? I can assure you that Moto, Dell, or any other would love to have Apple's margins, but at the moment their products don't demand higher prices.
Products typically are sold at prices the market will bear.

[Mools]

09:56 AM on 02/01/2011

I'm not sure you realize how capitalism works. Companies sells things at a profit. That is, they sell things for more than it costs them to make it. That is how they make money which then goes towards research and developing newer, better products, and paying investors who buy stocks in the company.

Every company operates likes this. No exceptions. So if you honestly believe that a company making money = "ripping off their customers" then I think you are living in a make believe world.

[AntonioVTorres]

11:45 AM on 02/01/2011

LOL. Profits don't tell the whole story. Sales do.

Before I explain why, I want to note that I find it funny when Apple starts losing in one area, the fanatics find another area to call them winners in. Let's continue...

What companies like Apple and Blackberry do is sort of like vertical integration. It means they own all the pieces to the puzzle being they manufacture the hardware AND software under one umbrella. That's one mouth to feed!

Windows Phone 7, Android are software made by software companies or their units. HTC, Samsung develop the hardware. So, when one device comes out, there's TWO mouths to feed instead of one. Then to compound issues, there are multiple hardware companies

What you're doing, that's WRONG, is comparing apples to oranges.

To compound matters even more, multiple hardware companies with multiple OS options across multiple carriers create many different combinations. This only means that you're comparing one Apple to a lot of different oranges - divide and conquer.

Apple may win on profit margins but it has nothing to do with popularity which is what this article is about. It has more to do with the business model chosen. If you look at the leaders Android is the top OS and Nokia is the top hardware maker.

[helioszephyr]

08:18 PM on 02/01/2011

"“LOL. Profits don't tell the whole story. Sales do."
No, not the whole story, just the major one. I'll let others comment on this comment. Hopefully there's some business owners or accountants on this thread... maybe I'm smoking something and guilty of not articulating a basic concept... but I think your "holodeck" OS has a virus.

Two mouths to feed?!? And what, that's Apple's problem? It's Apple's advantage that they produce an OS and hardware... what, they should concede that... dump their OS to play "fair"? What are you talking about?!?

What's this explanation/ID of hardware and software companies... who doesn't know this?

I'm sure Moto will be happy with the new Atrix to win a popularity contest, with low margins... they're shareholders will love that.

You're a liability to those who prefer and support the same products you do.

[John Kramarz]

10:03 PM on 02/01/2011

" Profits don't tell the whole story. Sales do. "

Great! Apple's profits are amazing. 51% of cell phone industry.
Sales were up 86% y/y !

" I find it funny when Apple starts losing in one area, the fanatics find another area to call them winners in."

I just called them a winner in both!

"Apple may win on profit margins but it has nothing to do with popularity which is what this article is about."

Not just on margins, but actual amount of profit.
You can't demand all that profit and high margin and 86% growth by being unpopular, but of course, if Apple is "popular" it's called : fanboism, sheep, cult, etc
If Android is popular, it's because a large part of the population just evolved an interest in computer science, made critical comparisons and chose wisely. right?

[MikeyG]

07:05 AM on 02/01/2011

The most notable thing in this list is the fact that Microsoft's market share went down in spite of the fact that they released their new phone OS. Their pooch should prepare for some lovin!

And what's with using Samsung's South Korea numbers for Android? Looks like they are taking "cherry picking" to a whole new level.

[Mat Biscan]

10:00 AM on 02/01/2011

They're always late to the party these days. The only thing they're a leader in is video games. They should hand the keys over to the people running the Xbox division. They're the only ones that "get it" about being ahead of the pack.

[2AcesInTheHole]

01:23 AM on 02/01/2011

Forget all the hype! Androids work for me because their OS equals freedom AND THATS JUST WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS MORE OF. But I am looking forward to Motorola's new I Text phone, some say that it will leave all the other Smart Phones in the dust. Isn't having real competition great?

[Mools]

10:01 AM on 02/01/2011

Well, I would argue that the North American cell market has very little competition. It seems like most data plans are close to the same price/features and they ALL gouge you severely based on the costs for providing the service. I mean, it costs like 1/3 of one cent to send a text and companies charge 10 - 20 cents. That is insane!

So much like cable companies, instead of competing by offering the most value for the best price, the companies compete by offering different "exclusive" phones. Wow.

Having said all that, I do agree with your general sentiment. I just don't believe MS and Google competing for who can get their software on the most phones has anything to do with customers because it doesn't change my cell bill any.

[gvscmr]

08:49 PM on 02/01/2011

What is the Motorola 1Text? Do you have a link for it?