IDC: Android surged to 69 percent smartphone share in 2012, dipped in Q4

IDC Android surged to 69 percent smartphone share in 2012, took a dip in Q4

Few would doubt that 2012 was Android's year given how rapidly it grew, but it's good to have some context. IDC is more than willing to oblige. It estimates that Google's OS climbed from 49.2 percent of the smartphone space in 2011 to 68.8 percent in 2012. As we've seen in the past, though, most of that came from customers leaving embattled platforms, including a pre-BB10 BlackBerry and Symbian. Apple reportedly held its ground at 18.8 percent, while Microsoft appears to have turned a corner with Windows Phone by climbing back up to 2.5 percent.

The fourth quarter results paint a slightly different picture. Android still had a comfortable 70.1 percent of share in IDC's reckoning, but it took a hit from 75 percent in the third quarter -- similar to what we've seen elsewhere, the iPhone 5 launch helped iOS claw back enough share to hit 21 percent. BlackBerry and Windows Phone weren't quite so rosy, although they also didn't have full quarters with new devices to offer. We'll have to wait for the first quarter of 2013 to finish before we learn of any true shakeups in the status quo.

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Source: IDC

ComScore: iPhone up to 36 percent of US phone share in December, Android stayed put

ComScore Android's US phone share stayed put in December, iPhone up to 36 percent

There's been indications that Apple staged something of a comeback in the US during the fourth quarter, owing partly to an iPhone 5-related spike. ComScore's smartphone share data for December appears to bear that out. It estimates that the Apple claimed a 36.3 percent slice of the American market in the last month of 2012: that's a noticeable boost from 35 percent in November, and two points up since the iPhone 5's September arrival. Android remained on top at 53.4 percent, but it was once again unusually static, edging down from highs earlier in the year. Other platforms took their usual blows, although there's no doubt some hopes for revival.

Just don't anticipate looking for overall cellphone market share. ComScore has switched to focusing on smartphones, and it's telling a different story than we've seen in the past. When only smartphones count, Samsung's December share left it in second place, at 21 percent -- still an increase over prior months, but not as large as Apple's 36.3 percent. The biggest surprise is LG's rise to 7.1 percent and fifth place, quite possibly due to the Optimus G and Nexus 4. Enough shifted that the market may be even less recognizable in 2013, for better or worse.

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Source: ComScore

Strategy Analytics: Android claimed 70 percent of world smartphone share in Q4 2012

Estimate Android claimed 70 percent of world smartphone share in Q4 2012

Maybe it's easier being green than we thought. We suspected Android would do well in smartphone market share when Strategy Analytics had Samsung surging ahead in the fourth quarter of 2012, but the firm's newer breakdown of estimated share by OS shows an even larger jump for Google's overall platform -- from 51.3 percent in fall 2011 to 70.1 percent one year later. Apple was knocked down slightly to 22 percent, although it's mostly other platforms that took the bruising. Collectively, BlackBerry, Symbian, Windows Phone and other platforms sank from 25.1 percent of the smartphone space in late 2011 to just 7.9 points as 2012 drew to a close. When just two companies' platforms make up 92 percent of smartphones, it's safe to call the result a duopoly, like Strategy Analytics does -- even if others aren't so content with the idea.

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Strategy Analytics: Android and Apple iOS Capture a Record 92 Percent Share of Global Smartphone Shipments in Q4 2012

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global smartphone shipments grew 38 percent annually to reach 217 million units in the fourth quarter of 2012. Android and Apple iOS together accounted for a record 92 percent share of all smartphones shipped worldwide.

Neil Shah, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, said, "Global smartphone shipments grew 38 percent annually from 157.0 million units in Q4 2011 to 217.0 million in Q4 2012. Global smartphone shipments for the full year reached a record 700.1 million units in 2012, increasing robustly from 490.5 million units in 2011. Global shipment growth slowed from 64 percent in 2011 to 43 percent in 2012 as penetration of smartphones began to mature in developed regions such as North America and Western Europe."

Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, added, "We estimate 152.1 million Android smartphones were shipped globally in Q4 2012, nearly doubling from 80.6 million units in Q4 2011. Android's share of the global smartphone market has surged from 51 percent to 70 percent over the past year, crushing Symbian, Bada and other platforms in its wake. Almost half-a-billion Android smartphones were shipped in total worldwide during 2012. Android is clearly the undisputed volume leader of the smartphone industry at the present time. Android's challenge for 2013 will be to defend its leadership, not only against Apple, but also against an emerging wave of hungry challengers that includes Microsoft, Blackberry, Firefox and Tizen."

Scott Bicheno, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, added, "Apple grew 29 percent annually and shipped 47.8 million smartphones worldwide for 22 percent marketshare in Q4 2012, dipping slightly from 24 percent a year earlier. Combined together, Apple and Android accounted for a record 92 percent share of all smartphones shipped globally in the fourth quarter of 2012. The worldwide smartphone industry has effectively become a duopoly as consumer demand has polarized around mass-market Android models and premium Apple designs."

Exhibit 1: Global Smartphone Operating System Shipments and Market Share in Q4 2012 1

Global Smartphone OS Shipments (Millions of Units) Q4 '11 2011 Q4 '12 2012
Android 80.6 238.9 152.1 479.0
Apple iOS 37.0 93.0 47.8 135.8
Others 39.4 158.6 17.1 85.3
Total 157.0 490.5 217.0 700.1
Global Smartphone OS Marketshare %

Q4 '11

2011 Q4 '12 2012
Android 51.3% 48.7% 70.1% 68.4%
Apple iOS 23.6% 19.0% 22.0% 19.4%
Others 25.1% 32.3% 7.9% 12.2%
Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Total Growth Year-over-Year % 55.9% 63.8% 38.2% 42.7%

The full report, Android & Apple iOS Capture a Record 92 Percent Share of Global Smartphone Shipments in Q4 2012, is published by the Strategy Analytics Wireless Smartphone Strategies (WSS) service, details of which can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/9djv7u8.

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Via: TalkAndroid

Source: Strategy Analytics

The Daily Roundup for 01.24.2013

DNP The Daily RoundUp

You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

Microsoft reports Q2 2013 earnings

Microsoft posts record revenue of $21.5 billion, and $6.38 billion profit...

Nokia makes a 2012 Q4 profit of $585 million

From somewhere atop a Finnish mountain, Stephen Elop is both bellowing and whispering...

Pebble smartwatch unboxing

It's here! After nine months of waiting and a whopping 31 project updates...

Intel gets go-ahead for $4 billion chip plant

Intel has been planning to make its Ireland base one of three global manufacturing sites for its 14nm chips...

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Nokia 808 PureView: officially the last Symbian phone

Nokia 808 PureView The last Symbian phone

So long, Symbian. Nestled away in the company's financial announcement this morning, Nokia confirmed that its pixel-punching 808 PureView phone will be the last release powered by the increasingly creaky Symbian OS. In no uncertain terms:

"The Nokia 808 PureView, a device which showcases our imaging capabilities and which came to market in mid-2012, was the last Symbian device from Nokia."

The company still managed to sell a total of 2.2 million Symbian devices during the last quarter, half the number of Windows Phone 8 devices shifted in the same period -- presumably thanks, in some way, to that as-yet unparalleled PureView camera sensor. We'll be pouring one out (and capturing it in 38 megapixels) if you need us.

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Via: TechCrunch

Source: Nokia (PDF)

ComScore: iPhone up to 35 percent of US smartphone share in November, Android steady

ComScore iPhone up to 35 percent of US smartphone share in November, Android on an even keel

Smartphone launches sometimes have to build up steam before they can go full speed ahead. Apple might be learning this first-hand, based on ComScore's figures. After a lackluster October, the company's just-reported November smartphone market share in the US was up sharply, to 35 percent; while the spike isn't directly credited to the iPhone 5, rapidly growing availability of the company's newest smartphone certainly didn't hurt. Android was still comfortably ruling the roost at 53.7 percent, although its share was only a slight increase over October. As such, most of Apple's gain during the month came from smaller rivals' pain.

It was a more familiar story among individual phone makers. Samsung had a comfortable lead at 26.9 percent of the larger American cellphone market in November, while Apple padded its advantage over a sinking LG to hit 18.5 percent. With Motorola and HTC also on the downward slide, the US market this fall was increasingly mirroring its global counterpart, where it was really Apple and Samsung's game to play -- others might have to be content watching from the sidelines in the future.

Continue reading ComScore: iPhone up to 35 percent of US smartphone share in November, Android steady

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Source: ComScore

Skype officially ready for Symbian Belle FP1 and FP2 devices

Skype officially ready for Symbian Belle FP1 and FP2 devices, gives VoIP to your 808 PureView

Skype has been available through official channels for Belle-based Symbian devices for awhile, but not for those running FP1 or FP2. If you'd wanted to use the world's largest VoIP service from a more recent (or recently updated) Symbian phone like the 808 PureView, you were stuck. A low-key update has thankfully flicked the support switch for those who upgraded to the newer OS before their internet calling could follow suit. From early appearances, though, compatibility is the primary upgrade; My Nokia Blog doesn't see a functional difference from earlier releases. The Skype refresh is still a welcome tweak for those who'd like to hold on to Nokia's original smartphone platform for just a little longer.

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Via: My Nokia Blog

Source: Nokia Store

ComScore: Android’s US share kept growing in October, Apple passed LG in all cellphones

ComScore Android's US market share kept growing in October, Apple passes LG in all cellphones

We've been wondering how much the first full month of iPhone 5 sales would skew US market share in October. The answer is... not much, if you ask ComScore. Android kept growing to 53.6 percent of American smartphones on the back of the Droid RAZR M, Galaxy Note II and other devices, but the iPhone's market share just managed to remain steady at the same 34.3 percent as in September. Apple could mostly be glad that it wasn't in the position of its older rivals: the BlackBerry dipped below 8 percent share, while the wait for a Windows Phone 8 turnaround may have triggered a sharp drop in Microsoft's stake to 3.2 percent.

There was a symbolic (if anticipated) changing of the guard for the wider American market, however. After months of closing in, Apple just barely edged out LG to become the second-largest cellphone maker of any kind on the US stage at 17.8 percent. A familiar scenario elsewhere kept Samsung once again on top at 26.3 percent, while Motorola and HTC remained on a downward slide. We'll be keeping a close eye on how the November results alter the status quo -- between Windows Phone, LG's Optimus G and a cavalcade of multi-device launches, there's been potential for more than one tidal shift in the mobile world in the past few weeks.

Continue reading ComScore: Android's US share kept growing in October, Apple passed LG in all cellphones

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Source: ComScore

Nokia Transit updated with segmented maps, advance routing on Windows Phone and Symbian

Nokia Transit update brings segmented route maps, relative times to Windows Phone and Symbian

Nokia still has a ways to go before directions in Nokia Transit (also known as Nokia Transport) are on par with Google's, but the Finnish crew is clearly on the right track with a fresh update to its Windows Phone and Symbian apps. Travelers now see segmented route maps that provide a closer look at key points in the trip as well as more focused directions at those crucial moments. The app is that much more savvy about travel times, as well -- the forward-thinking can at last plan trips days in advance, and there's new options for relative arrival times as well as a simplified destination history. Symbian even gets its own specific update with long-overdue support for route updates in-app, rather than through upgrading the app itself. Lumia owners on Windows Phone 8 devices can get the spruced-up version of Transit or Transport today as a regular update; Symbian and Windows Phone 7 users willing to live on the edge can get roughly equivalent betas at the same time.

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Source: Conversations by Nokia, Nokia Beta Labs (1), (2)