We haven’t mentioned many of these reports from marketing firms like comScore over the last few months because they have all painted the same picture for 2 years now. We’re talking smartphone operating share in the U.S., something that Android has had a stranglehold over for quite some time. After surging to the front of the pack back in 2010 and 2011, Android has yet to give up any of its share to Apple’s iOS or any of the other competing smartphone operating systems.
As you can see from this most recent comScore report that was conducted over a 3-month period ending in November 2012, Android jumped up 1.1% to 53.7% of the market, while Apple jumped another 0.7% to 35.0%. RIM, Microsoft, and Symbian all continued to drop.
To be fair, the next report of comScore’s may paint a slightly different picture, as the iPhone 5 likely had a blast over the holiday season (not that Android didn’t). But also, Windows Phone 8 finally went live on a number of handsets at reasonable prices that may have helped Microsoft take back a bit of OS share. A bit, I said, which may even be a stretch.
Can anything happen over the next couple of years to change these numbers?
Via: comScore
Poor Microsoft.
I’m not interested in owning a Windows Phone, but I do wish they would be doing better for the sake of competition. With almost no way to keep unlimited data with Verizon except to purchase a phone off contract and Tmobile doing away with subsidized phones, extra competition would hopefully drive the cost of smartphones down.
I remember when Windows Phone’s share increased from 1% to 2%, news outlets were spinning it as it “doubling its share of the smartphone market.” It was sad and hilarious at the same time.
I love me some Android and Google, but I made the switch to Windows Phone 8 so I could develop for it, and because I am a fan of the smooth UI. However, I just want to remind those of you who forgot or who never knew this, Google BLOCKS windows phone 8 devices from accessing YouTube metadata in the way iOS and Android does, and have publicly stated they will never do so. While Google may be the lesser of the evils with Apple, they can still be evil.
To be honest, I think we’ll see Windows 8 increasing over the next few years. As people update their PCs at home they’ll most likely get Windows 8 (I did.) While I’m 100% sticking with Android, I can easily see why someone would want to make the switch to have continuity across mobile and PC.
Fewer and fewer people are buying PCs every year. We are not going to see a drastic change with Windows 8. There is simply no evidence suggesting a change in the trend, or future success for Windows adoption. People are increasingly using mobile devices exclusively, and as that number grows, they will look for continuity from their mobile device, not their desktop. iPhone users will look to Macs, and Android users will look to inexpensive Chromebooks or Android laptops.
The most used application on any home computer is the browser. It just doesn’t make economic sense to most people to spend hundreds of dollars more on a machine that does things they don’t need or don’t use.
WP was dead on arrival. Will follow the Kin line.
Wait, there’s a “rest of the industry”?
Hmm, I guess if we keep at it we can completely destroy blackberry and windows phones…. Is that what you meant by “is there anything we can do to change these numbers”?
May Microsoft burn a fiery death for their past transgressions.
I think Howard Stern had a symbian on his show once….
There realistically is only room for two players. Windows Phone has a very tough future. And BB? Probably dead in the water.
Jan 30, BB releases their new phones/OS. If BB was smart and still allowed porting of android apps, you’ll see BB leapfrog windows 8. Not like either one really takes anything from android or apple though
Don’t know if it will ever happen, but BB needs to sign a licensing agreement with Google allowing them to share Play Store apps.
BB still has a lot going for it, especially in the corporate world, and BB10 looks pretty sweet, but if they think they can survive with the current offering of apps, they are going to learn a hard truth very quickly.
…unless they are happy with 5%-6% marketshare?
I laughed at BB users when android came out. But yes BB 10 isn’t that terrible at all. But how can you compete when there’s some much stress already on the Play Store and App Store. I think its to much to ask already of devs to program for both OS. There cant be a 3rd without diminishing all other platforms.
To leapfrog, you have to start from behind.
Ummm…what?
“If BB was smart and still allowed porting of android apps,” are you implying “BB” no longer allows porting of android apps??
I’m a developer and I’m pretty sure they still let me port Android apps over. They’re actually hosting an Android-Port-A-Thon and will pay every developer $100 for each app they port from Android to Blackberry on January 13th…
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