Android Hits 73% of Global Smartphone Market 601
eldavojohn writes "Gartner's released a report on worldwide numbers of 2012 3Q phone sales and the staggering results posted from Android have caused people like IW's Eric Zeman to call for sanity. Keep in mind these are worldwide numbers, which might be less surprising when you realize that the biggest growth market of them all is China, which is more than 90% Android. It's time to face the facts and realize that Android now owns 73% of the worldwide smartphone market. While developers bicker over which platform is best for development and earnings, the people of the world may be making the choice based on just how inexpensive an Android smartphone can be. This same time last year, Gartner reported Android at 52.5% of market share and it now sits at 72.4% market share with over 122 million units sold worldwide."
Re:Q3 vs. worldwide in use? (Score:4, Informative)
Re:I had anticipated this a long time ago (Score:4, Informative)
my first mobile product will be for Android and I'll do iOS second.
We do both platforms but tailor the development and release cycle to the region. Releases or updates pertaining to the international market always get the Android version first. If it's mainly a US based application, we do the iOS platform first. Reason being, we want a large user base latching onto new releases and updates so we can get more accurate bug reports/fixes. There always tends to be a large amount of useless "static" in the feedback forms however the Android feedback generally tends to be more useful to the developers.
Re:Android users are poor and can't afford apps. (Score:4, Informative)
So Walmart has stopped selling movies? video games? toys? cosmetics? junk food? electronics? photo services?
Sure Walmart makes a lot money selling clothing & food, but they also make a tidy profit on non-necessities.
Re:Suck it! (Score:5, Informative)
but 90% are still at nothing higher than 2.3.5
Actually, Gingerbread and below are down to about 70% [android.com]. Not good (JB is only on an utterly pitiful number of devices), but improving slowly.
Re:Android users are poor and can't afford apps. (Score:5, Informative)
"I'm still trying to figure out what else would be worth paying hundreds of dollars more for a bigger phone with a shorter battery life."
Navigation, POI (business search), and live traffic information is worth vastly more than $100 by itself.
Listening to your entire music collection and/or live streaming like Pandora and PRI/NPR/BBC World.
Watching youtube videos, or entire DVDs if you are so inclined (works out well on long flights).
Reading and replying to your personal and work email wherever and whenever you feel like it.
Having both your personal appointments and reminders, and your work appointments pulled from Exchange automatically.
Using a good RSS reader, allowing you to read the articles from a number of website you frequent (including /.) all in a slick interface, at a moment's notice, without needing to turn on/off a computer.
Replying to idiots on /. at work...
Having all your ebooks wherever you are, and a great screen to read them on.
Having a great SSH client wherver you are, so you can login to your Linux boxes and do... absoloutely anything and everything...
Scientific calculator with you at all times.
All the games you can stand... From strategy games to word games, to emulators allowing you to play any game for older consoles (Genesis, N64, etc).
Re:How cool is it though... (Score:5, Informative)
- Excellent, easy to use GUI.
- No Command line shit required to do stuff.
- Easy customization.
Actually, you got your assumptions wrong. Android has GREAT command line support. You can do pretty much anything, including send SMS and initiate phone calls using the command line. It is one of the things I love about it: I can do whatever the hell I want.
Also, regarding customization, that is only true in theory. Phone manufacturers (I'm looking at you, Motorola) go out of their way to stop people from customizing. So, unless you are hacking the hell out of your phone, customization is very limited.
The fact there are so many different GUIs out there, with any manufacturer using a different one - or even multiple ones - also doesn't fit your model.
The reason Android is taking such a huge chunk of global market is mostly commercial. It is easy for manufacturers to use, and relatively cheap. There are great apps out there, and it is well supported by developing houses. It has a very usable interface (GUI). It is not exactly easy but, as far as smartphones go, nothing is really easy - we are just so used to it we don't even notice.
Lets face it, Android was in the right place at the right time, and (most specially) with the right mentality. iOS is apple only, and you are SOL if you are someone else. Windows mobile was a piece of crap, the phone would lock down all the time, and you had to go anything through Microsoft. Either you had to do your own development (like Nokia did), or you were out of the market. Along come Google with Android. In the beginning, not such a great solution, but a much better option.
Me ? I'm just happy for it. I own 2 Android phone, my wife has one, my daughter another ... Heck, even my father has one.