Android's Market Share Soars Ahead Of Apple iPhone's

ComScore's recent U.S. smartphone market share evaluation pegs Google's Android platform as the clear winner against other popular platforms, such as Apple and RIM .

During a three month period ending March 2011, comScore examined the U.S. smartphone market and concluded that 69.5 million people owned a smartphone during that time. This figure shows a 13% increase from the last study period, which ended in November 2010.

So which platforms did users (over the age of 13) prefer? Thirty-three percent chose Android, with 28.9 percent sticking with RIM handsets. Apple was the favorite among 25.2 percent of users. Microsoft and Palm brought up the rear, with 7.7 and 2.8 percent of the market share, respectively.

Google's Android platform is on fire, compared to comScore's findings from November 2010. Google's market share soared 7 percent while Apple's growth was basically stagnant, increasing 0.2 percent. RIM, Microsoft and Palm all lost ground during the same three month period. RIM, which was the market leader during comScore's study, fell 4.6 percent below its former market share, the worst loss among the platforms examined. During the same period, Microsoft shrank by 1.3 percent and Palm fell by 1.1 percent. To put the numbers in perspective, keep in mind that Apple's iOS operating system runs only on iPhones, whereas Google's Android software is available on a wide range of smartphone devices from a multiplicity of hardware manufacturers.

Business Insider explains the significance of Android's gain:

The Android gains matter because technology platform markets tend to standardize around a single dominant platform (see Windows in PCs, Facebook in social, Google in search). And the more dominant the platform becomes, the more valuable it becomes and the harder it becomes to dislodge. The network effect kicks in, and developers building products designed to work with the platform devote more and more of their energy to the platform. The reward for building and working with other platforms, meanwhile, drops, and gradually developers stop developing for them.

Comments

[jsr38401]

03:20 PM on 05/18/2011

It's no wonder Android is doing better than Iphone OS. I work for at&t and no one on the sales level pushes the Iphone anymore. I'm not saying that we do not sell them, because you have your die hard apple users that will still come in and buy them, but I can sell an android device over an iphone any day.
Some of the biggest reasons that we do not push the iphone is because there is no at&t logo on the phone, so if a customer buys an iphone from me and goes outside and breaks it in the parking lot, there is nothing I can do to help them other than send them to an apple store where as any android device is insurable and not to mention you do not have to deal with all of the apple only bs that comes along with the iphone.
Also iphones are hardly customizable and whats up with only being to use face time on wifi where as its the opposite for android devices such as the Motorola Atrix or Infuse. I believe the iphone is large in part of at&ts bad reputation for bad customer service as well because back in the day if you were not buying an iphone then you really didn't matter to the reps. That has all ended with the rise of android phones and if you ask Verizon reps about the matter they will say the same thing.

[macrocosm]

12:07 PM on 04/22/2011

Take Apple out at the knees and do some google manufacturing here in the States, hey even in Europe or wherever else the population can support them through sales & workforce. Google is already exceedingly more green than apple, this would make them even more-so and create even more fans that would proudly buy a non-china more local product. But hey, China is huge they should have factories too of course.

[Rick Lyon]

02:05 PM on 04/06/2011

You mean a single phone can't keep up with the growth on an OS that is licensed out to anyone that wants it on any carrier that will take it?! How is that possible!?!!?

[Wuud52]

01:00 AM on 04/27/2011

It is out of choice. Everybody knows about the iPhone, lots of people want it and lots do not. I held onto my old Palm Treo until 18 months ago when I could get an Android phone. I knew about Apple, just did not want it.

[enigmatic zero]

11:46 PM on 04/05/2011

History is repeating itself!

Apple's Mac lost big time to Microsoft in the 80s, while Steve Jobs held onto his "visionary" marketing model..

The same thing is happening with the Iphone...in the verge of being relegated to yet another historical footnote just because of the exact same "visionary" marketing model.

Strange that people do not get the hint from one abysmal failure...but continue to do it!

I, as well as others predicted that there will be a repeat of the Mac vs PC thing of the 80s when android came out...and its happening even faster than I thought it would.

Human beings always prefer choice and variety over no choice. Anyone who does not realize this basic human trait must have his/her head stuck in the ground....willingly or unwillingly.

[JohnTheMac]

12:09 AM on 04/06/2011

I don't remember Microsoft licensing an OS for free in the 80s? Is that what you're suggesting Apple do to 'compete'? Why would they want to give up all the money they're making?

Wasn't there a LOT more to the Mac/PC wars? (And hasn't Mac been GROWING in recent years, quite profitably? How are we defining losing?)
Weren't there apple bus ports for printers and modems, etc that restricted your choice of printers and accessories, almost all of which had to be mail ordered because the demand was too small for CompUSA to stock on shelves. Forget software.
Is any of that applicable to the "history that's repeating" itself? Are Apps sold on shelves at BestBuy, where a low marketshare will make iOS apps hard to find? Is it impossible to call some numbers from an iPhone, because you're using an incompatible system? Will ATT write me to say they're dropping support for iPhone because it's too small a marketshare to support? No, none of this will happen. It's as ridiculous as your post.

[starxd]

12:13 AM on 04/06/2011

To call the Mac an "abysmal failure" is absurd! Apple is soon projected to overtake HP as the world's largest PC maker! Plus their profit margins on PCs are many times higher than Windows PCs. So how exactly are they a failure?? Sales of Macs are increasing by double digits every quarter and they are rapidly gaining market share from Windows. And don't forget, only ONE manufacturer sells PCs with the Mac OS, but literally hundreds sell Windows PCs, so OF COURSE they sell more! And the exact same thing goes for the iPhone - they are selling more each quarter than they did the last, at higher profit margins than anyone else. They sell them as fast as they can make them! As an Apple shareholder who has more than tripled my investment in just a few short years, I will gladly take this "abysmal failure" any day! LOL!!! What a joke.

[666dorado]

09:26 PM on 04/05/2011

this whole Apple vs. Android debate is quite amusing. it reminds me of the same political debate regarding sex in the bedroom.

some android fans are like the up-tight conservative republicans that have to stick their noses into and try and influence or control other people's private matters. what's up with the obsession of commenting about how stupid they think apple fans are, or how much superior their android products are, or how inferior apple products are?

can't they just let people enjoy their products and be happy with your own choices? why do they feel the need to pass judgement? you know how apple fans pass judgement? by buying apple products. there's no need to bash the competition because they already think they made the best choice, true or not.

it's one thing to defend your choice, and i see here with apple and android, and that's healthy. but the focused HATE against apple and their legion of followers is just shocking. the inverse of this doesn't exist because android is just "everyone else that's not apple", so it's not an easy group of people to lump together and generalize. there is no "anti-apple haters club", just a pro apple club.

where is the HATE for android? or HATE for hp/dell/toshiba/asus/samsung? HATE for google? apple users might think that android is inferior or not like products that are not apple, but there's no focused HATE for android or it's manufacturers or it's users.

[moozungu]

11:23 PM on 04/05/2011

Backwards... Steve Jobs creates a walled off garden.. puts for that a model of business that every blue blooded capitalist Republican loves...
a) Steve Jobs plays the role of morality master, choosing what is morally okay for apple devices...
b) He takes off a wopping 30% from develoeprs who sell their products on his platforms.
c) He poopoos software tools that would enable developers to build applications that could be obtained out side of his appstore thus reducing his profits...by claiming that certain tools are inferior... as if it is the tool that makes an app and not the developer....
d) Apple sycophants run around telling everyone else that STeve Jobs not only has the right to tie access of information to machines, but that it is good thing...

More apple fanboyism nonsense... just like a teapartier selling deathpanels... claiming that fixing the health care system is going to make us broke... Still you have the audacity to republicans are andorid are the base of Android Consumers... everything Mac has done stems from greedy capitalist intentions...

[starxd]

12:16 AM on 04/06/2011

Right, and Google doesn't care at all about making money, right? LOL!!!! How ridiculous.

[666dorado]

01:01 AM on 04/06/2011

anybody in business for profit has capitalist intentions by definition, nobody is doing this for free.

steve's primary motivation is not numbers, that would be reserved for dorks like michael dell and steve ballmer. if anyone is left wing liberal in this analogy, it would be steve, who's getting the last laugh.

how many examples in life does the struggling artist little guy rise to the top? steve jobs created a lifestyle and design company, and now he's reaping the profits of a vision he had 35 years ago to connect the world thru personal computing devices, and in the process is changing the face of modern computing and media consumption.

what other CEO of any other company is as visionary as he has been?

if steve jobs only thought about money, he'd just be making boring copy cat devices and licensing his OS to anyone and their grandma just to make a buck.

[beerbagger]

07:37 PM on 04/05/2011

My Motorola STARTAC is numer one AWESOME!

[Rynchostylus]

01:30 PM on 04/07/2011

I LOVED that phone. Wish I still had it.

[Knowledgeseeker]

06:49 PM on 04/05/2011

I really like Android, I'm so much comfortable with it than with the others

[moozungu]

05:59 PM on 04/05/2011

I hope this trend continues... Trying to tie users access to information to a manufacturers whims/ is a terrible business model for overall growth of smart phone development industry. The idea that a user who buys a device is not allowed to download or put what every app they want on their own device is a terrible standard to set. Apple/Jobs desire to enrich himself with own private garden where entry for developers is dependent on whether Apple or Jobs approves of the content, or the tools used to build it, or whether the developer or the company can afford to give jobs and apple 30 or more percent of each sale is gross extortion... I think it is in many ways worse that ending of net neutrality... imagine a car maker who tells you that all people or items you can put in your car have to have their approval... nonsense...

[starxd]

12:21 AM on 04/06/2011

Interesting that there are about twice as many apps available for iPhone than Android. Apple can't be THAT restrictive since they've approved twice as many apps as have ever been created for Android.

Even Google is coming to realize that when it comes to mobile, Apple's closed system is the only viable business model. Openness is ruining Android, which is why Google is refusing to release the latest version as open source. They need to gain control over their own platform or the hackers, crappy developers, malware makers, crappy manufacturers and evil carriers will drive Android into the ground.

[moozungu]

01:22 AM on 04/06/2011

Okay... that is utterly not true...yes they are beefing up security to prevent malicious apps but Google is not changing their business model because Macs is so much better.. that is total b.s... Of course Mac has more apps...it has been out for a much longer period that Androids...hence was the only game in town for a long time... but you don't even have to search very hard ...even here on H.P...to find out that more people are developing applications for Android devices than macs... and I hate to tell you this my friend... but the Android SDK is free... I think you may need to go back and do a little more research before you start making these claims about Android and Google..

[alterego55]

05:44 PM on 04/05/2011

Last year I bought my Android phone, and as a systems consultant I was surprised at how good it was. During that time, Apple advocates were pooh poohing the idea that Android could ever take over iPhone. Now that Android phones have overtaken iPhones, the argument changes. We started to get the Apple apologetics:

Not fair because Android has more manufacturers, more carriers, etc.
iPhone/iPad are luxury items and are "cooler".
iPhone/iPad are more dependable.

Next year at this time, iPhones will comprise less than 15% market share. Android tablets will be outselling iPads. There will be more software developers for Android than for iPhone. Sales of licensed Android apps will out pace app sales for iOS.

Loss of market share coupled with downward pricing pressure will mean less R&D money. Apple will once again be floundering in the doldrums until it comes up with another successful "first mover" product.

[JohnTheMac]

06:48 PM on 04/05/2011

Sorry you had to deal with all those advocates and their "no fair" claims.
I could have saved you a lot of trouble and anguish.
The real explanation is "it doesn't matter" relative to market share.
In this past year, Apple has only increased the number of iPhones it sells, and is selling them as fast as it can make them, at a good margin. You do understand how you can have a growing business, even if the market is growing faster than your business, right? It's ok though, because you still get to keep the money you make.
The rest of your predictions are laughable.

[alterego55]

07:44 PM on 04/05/2011

This year, this year, this year. I'm talking about six months to a year from now. Do you understand the effect of competition on downward pricing pressure? Obviously not. Do you understand the network affect of playing well with others. Obviously not. Maybe you should read the Business Insider inset in this article. Or, maybe you should look up Metcalf's law and see how the utility of a network increases as the square of the number of nodes in a network (business or otherwise). Apple has already lost the battle to Android in business nodes, and Android is catching up at an aggressive rate in developer nodes and app nodes. In six months to a year, the number of Android developers and Android apps will surpass iOS.

Apple has enjoyed huge margins because it broke a market wide open and maintained a great deal of market exclusivity. It won't be enjoying those margins any longer. The marketplace is rife with innovative companies that were first movers who were overtaken by fast followers, regardless of product characteristics. Mac vs. Windows is one. Here are some others:

Fairchild loses to Intel.
Beta Max loses to VHS.
Wang loses to Wordstar.
Yahoo Search loses to Google Search.
MySpace loses to Facebook.

the trend:
Android Phones vs. iPhone.
Android Tablets vs. iPad.

iOS will continue to be a player, but it will be relegated to MySpace marketability in a Facebook world. As for my predictions being laughable, I heard the same last year.

[starxd]

12:27 AM on 04/06/2011

The reality is no one who owns an iPhone cares one bit about who sells more phones. Android owners are the only ones obsessed with that. For some reason they think that selling more makes them better. The cheap, mediocre stuff always sells more. People buy more Chevys than Audis, right? Apple and Apple customers are quite content in a niche market. Apple is making more profit than any other company in tech and they have the highest level of customer satisfaction, bar none. So you Fandroids can shout all you want about who sells more... but nobody cares!

[someone asdf]

02:37 PM on 04/06/2011

The popularity of any platform has almost always been determined by the amount of software written for it (see 360 vs PS3, Win vs M AC, etc.) If you lose marketshare, you lose developers, and cascades into losing more marketshare.

Also, LOL. You think Android = Cheap and mediocre? You're right about cheap: more of the popular apps are cheaper or free on Android. Not as many people are stupidly giving out their money for apps they use once and forget about, so developers must charge less.

Mediocre? LOL, considering you pay more for less hardware (the most expensive part), and the user experience is largely the same - if not better because you can tailor Android to your own usage. Enjoy paying an arm an a leg for a... wait, there's no advantage!

[wespenn56]

10:05 PM on 05/08/2011

Not quite. I chose android over iOs for reasons of applicability and the android system did what I wanted to better than iOS, period. The number of phones or app growth is irrelevant. Android suits my uses and purposes better than iOS does. Plain and simple. Degrade "Fandroids" all you like, we're used to it from the Apple Corpses.

[netzwerg]

04:31 PM on 04/05/2011

"It consists of Linux and Java (or a clone thereof) - that means double the trouble with two different open source entities that has a beef with it."

You seem a little confused. Android runs on a Unix kernel, just like Apples system does.
Java is a programming language, has very little to do with the operating system itself.

[alterego55]

04:54 PM on 04/05/2011

That is the danger of pseudo-techies regurgitating back buzzwords having no clue as to the context. Someone will read that posting and continue the misinformation somewhere else.

[DeadlyMantis]

11:08 PM on 04/05/2011

Actually, it has a linux kernel.

[Blair C Johnson]

04:03 PM on 04/05/2011

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/05/android-is-a-mess_n_844902.html
A MESS!

[alterego55]

04:49 PM on 04/05/2011

It is only the applications that access phone functionality external to Android that causes grief. The rest is a piece of cake.

If the issues of concern were tangible, why were 71% of the developers working on Android and 62% of the developers on iOS? Especially since iOS had a two year head start on Android.

Much ado about nothing, and Android will continue to roll over iOS.

[JohnTheMac]

06:54 PM on 04/05/2011

It's funny that 71% Android, 62% iOS, and 27% Others adds up to over 150%, which means developers aren't having a problem working on more than one platform.

[Rynchostylus]

12:56 PM on 04/05/2011

To all those iFans crying foul over comparing apples and oranges : Rubbish.

These numbers reflect the sum total of consumers who recently sat down in their chair and thought..."Do I want to get an iPhone 4, or one of the snazzy Android competitors" ?

The numbers reflect, for a variety of reasons, that more people went with Android. iFans will just have to accept that fact. Save your absurd Flash battery usage comments, and the "synergy" of hardware/software function.

[666dorado]

01:06 PM on 04/05/2011

iFans honestly don't care what the marketshare of android phones are, a lot of those numbers are from people in china or wherever where it's not convenient or financially prudent to own an iphone.. it's the android people who keep bringing up that meaningless statistic that has no effect on mac/iphone/apple users.

mcdonald's has bigger marketshare than in-n-out burgers, that's not going to stop me from enjoying my in-n-out.

[Rynchostylus]

02:08 PM on 04/05/2011

ROFLMAO ! Beautiful. Thank you sir.

[theveggiedude]

03:59 PM on 04/05/2011

I'll take a veggie burger.

[starxd]

12:33 AM on 04/06/2011

iPhone owners don't care who sells more phones. The cheap, mediocre stuff always sells more. Why don't you just be happy with your phone and I'll be happy with my phone and let's leave it at that? Why does it have to become a war? Honestly, who cares???

[Rynchostylus]

12:44 AM on 04/06/2011

Obviously you do. Just look at your first sentence. It's absurd to discount all Android devices as "cheap, mediocre stuff".

BTW, I own and use and iPhone.

[Angelus2007]

12:56 PM on 04/05/2011

It is an unfair comparison when you have one platform on 4 major carriers compared to 2. Yes, T-Mobile and Sprint are the smallest carries, but still about 40% of cell phone users have no iPhone option.

[ab73]

04:11 PM on 04/05/2011

Its not fair?

Apple CHOOSES to be available on only a 2 carriers. This is an inevitable consequence of Apples strategy.

[Angelus2007]

04:37 PM on 04/05/2011

My point is, it is an unfair comparison. They are cherry picking stats to make a point. That would be like me saying California is more dangerous than Louisiana because they have more murders, but completely neglecting the point that California has a lower murder rate per capita because they have many more people.

I am not saying the numbers are a lie, and yes Apple chose to do that. But that doesnt' change the fact that the stats are misleading because.

[EAPrince]

12:14 PM on 04/05/2011

That Android devices will outnumber iOS devices is hardly surprising. One hardware vendor making a few devices vs. half a dozen vendors all making multiple devices. Nothing shocking about it, no matter which mobile OS you prefer. Use what you like. Seems to me that there is room for both iOS and Android to be highly successful and the competition will keep both from getting lazy. Win-Win.

[NHBill]

12:47 PM on 04/05/2011

With more competitors to come.
HP bought Palm to compete in the mobile space.
RIM hasn't really weighed in on tablets.
And of course there's always Microsoft.

[theveggiedude]

04:05 PM on 04/05/2011

And yet Android is yet to establish itself. It is still an experiment in the making. Who knows if it will still exist in two years? It consists of Linux and Java (or a clone thereof) - that means double the trouble with two different open source entities that has a beef with it. The current problem is that Android developers may have to let everyone see their source code. If that happens, how many developers will stay on? So much legalise to get through...

[EAPrince]

04:47 PM on 04/05/2011

I am curious what will come of the Oracle/Java litigation. I can't imagine it will reach the point of actually scuttling Android. More likely there will be a transfer of obscene amounts of cash from Google to Oracle to smooth the waters. But who knows. The Tech world moves fast.

- Erik

[gtjs289]

11:38 AM on 04/05/2011

This is so weak. You can't compare sales numbers of an OS that is available on 1 out of every 3 phones, ranging from super smart phones to cheap entry level buy one get one free phones, to an OS that is only on one phone. Why does HuffPost have such an obsession with this comparison?