Okay, we have already looked into the Android Vs. iPhone iOS 4 stats that reveals smartphone market shares and they reflect the obvious – Android OS is growing like never before. One look at these numbers and you get to know that 27% of all recent smartphone purchases have been Android devices.
And the same number for the Apple iPhone is 23%. But this is not really surprising isn’t it? After all, in the recent weeks you have been reading that Android shipments have gone up by 886% worldwide, compared to last year. So, some of that increase had to show here.
But these numbers are not the end of the story, if ever there is going to be one. The first big rider is that iPhone 4 sales numbers are not included here, in totality. The phone was available only in the last week of June; so sales data for only one week has been taken into account.
However when this data is taken into account for the next quarter, there might be some major changes because of the robust sale figures of the iPhone 4 being reported by Apple. Moreover, even after the latest Android growth spurt, the iPhone holds 28% of the total smartphone market while Android lags way behind at 13%.
It should also be noted that BlackBerry is still the overall leader with 35% overall share and 33% recent subscribers despite the recent waves by UAE’s telecommunication authority.
So, the gains of the Android OS over iPhone iOS are relative or are they real?
Well, let’s look at it this way: it’s a contest between 20 odd phones with the Android OS on four carriers and one phone on one carrier. The numbers no longer look awe-inspiring, do they?
And Nielsen has also revealed that the iPhone remains the most coveted smartphone today. 21% of all Android users would actually like to defect to an iPhone with their next purchase. The same number of would-be defectors in the iPhone camp is a mere 6%. Talk about a loyal customer base!
Even 29% of all BlackBerry users wish to buy an iPhone next!
As a customer, you should be happy, because the possibilities in the coming quarter are simply numerous. For one, what happens if Apple iPhone is available on another carrier other than AT&T? The dynamics will change and so will the smartphone landscape.
On the other hand as more and more Android devices hit the market, Apple is sure to have a tough time dealing with this multi-pronged Android attack. Moreover, a lot is expected from the Android 2.2 OS. So, just watch this space!
