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Industry Trends

Growth In Android Use Fuels Smartphone Market

By August 18, 2010July 30th, 2023One Comment

Recently released reports from IDC indicate that the smart phone market has grown about 50% worldwide during the second quarter of 2010, compared to the second quarter of 2009. The highest growth has been seen by Google Android partners.

The total number of smartphones that have been sold in the second quarter of 2010 is around 63 million. During the same time last year, the number was 41.9 million. Moreover, 118.3 million smartphones shipped in the first six months of 2010 is which is 54% higher than the 76.8 million phones that were sold during the first half of last year.

HTC and Samsung, both Google Android partners, showed a growth rate of 128.6% and 172.7% respectively.

Nokia is still the largest smartphone supplier with a 38.1% market share and is followed by Research In Motion (RIM)’ Blackberry, which holds 17.8% market share. Apple is in third position in the smartphone market, with 13.3%. HTC is next with 7.6% and Samsung has 4.8% share of the market.

Ramon Llamas of IDC’s Mobile Devices Technology and Trends team says, “The worldwide smartphone market will continue this explosive growth in the second half of 2010, setting up a critical starting point for 2011.”

While Nokia and the Symbian OS are at the top of the market, Google’s Android OS is growing the fastest. In the second quarter of 2010, Android had a market share of 17% compared to just 1.8% in the same period last year. Android is now only one percentage point behind RIM.

In this fierce battle, the one company that has not fared well is Microsoft. They now have only 5% of the market share compared to 9.3% last year. They hope to be able to rectify this situation soon, with the launch of their new operating system.