“The competition between smartphone operating systems is a heated one. When it comes to the installed base, U.S. mobile consumers who already own smartphones, Apple’s iOS leads with 28%, followed closely by RIM BlackBerry and Google’s Android, each with 27%,” Don Kellogg, Senior Manager, Telecom Practice Research and Insights, reports for The Nielsen Company.
Kellogg reports, “As of December 2010, nearly a third (31%) of all mobile consumers in the United States owned smartphones, cellphones with app-based, web-enabled operating systems. But smartphone penetration is even higher among mobile users who are part of ethnic and racial minorities in the U.S. – namely Asian/Pacific Islanders (45%), Hispanics (45%) and African-Americans (33%), populations that also tend to skew younger. Meanwhile, only 27 percent of White mobile users reported owning a smartphone.”
Kellogg reports, “Apple’s iOs is the favorite among U.S. smartphone owners who are Asians/Pacific Islanders. Thirty-six percent of Asian/Pacific Islander who own smartphones have iPhones. On the other hand, RIM Blackberry is preferred by 31 percent of African-American smartphone owners.”
More info here.
wait till the Verizon consolidation
Wow, iPhone is kicking arse.
One carrier and one that most dislike. Although, I am happy with ATT. Android is on different carriers and those stupid buy one get one free promos. Imagine buy one get one free iPhone promo. Not to mention one phone from one company against all the manufacturers that produce an andriod with a slew of models.
Yup, iPhone kick some butt.
Please note that this research is only about smartphone OS; it does not include iPod touches or iPads, which would actually show that Apple is far bigger than both Google and RIM in USA.
The vast majority of the welfare moms that I take care of have iPhones. A lot of their kids, too.
Great, welfare kids have a better phone than me (iPhone 1). I’ll be getting an iPhone 5 (or whatever they name it) for sure now.
I understand why there are Android customers. It will be interesting to see the market share dynamics once iPhones are available on any networks. Verizon is a good start, but Apple needs to make iPhone available through any carrier a customer may want. Unless you are a geek demanding an “open” solution and likes to root their phone, It is hard for me to imagine the majority of smartphone buyers opting for an Android phone if the iPhone is also available.
@NCG598
Unfortunately, it’s Google who’s kicking ass so far.
Weird how the breakdown for African-Americans are so different than for the other ethnic groups cited. I mean, once you account for the higher BB use, the breakdown is still odd, compared to the other groups. iPhone is higher than Android in the three other groups, but amongst African-Anericans, Android is almost double iPhone. Very odd. I wonder if there’s a difference in carrier breakdown among African-Americans as well, which might explain it. That is, more African-Americans use Sprint and T-Mo, than other ethnic groups.
It’s interesting that Asians love the iPhone, while black people seem to choose other platforms. I’m curious why that is when Hispanics and whites have equal preference for the iPhone.
The android figures are absolutely bogus. It’s just way too easy to fiddle numbers on a spreadsheet tracking software licenses than it is to actually sell a product.
“It’s interesting that Asians love the iPhone, while black people seem to choose other platforms. “
Dey got no edjumukashun.
… so, “welfare moms” does not indicate “blacks”? Y’see … 85% of all blacks have something other than an iPhone. And over 70% of all Hispanics, as well. I’m not sure if you are working in a tweaky niche or if you are merely much more aware of the iPhones than of other brands. Seeing as even Asians prefer other phones to the iPhone by a two-to-one margin, I can’t see how your “observed statistic” can stand up.
But, I’m not calling you a liar, or even claiming you are mistaken.
… so, “welfare moms” does not indicate “blacks”? Y’see … 85% of all blacks have something other than an iPhone. And over 70% of all Hispanics, as well. I’m not sure if you are working in a tweaky niche or if you are merely much more aware of the iPhones than of other brands. Seeing as even Asians prefer other phones to the iPhone by a two-to-one margin, I can’t see how your “observed statistic” can stand up.
But, I’m not calling you a liar, or even claiming you are mistaken.
… so, “welfare moms” does not indicate “blacks”? Y’see … 85% of all blacks have something other than an iPhone. And over 70% of all Hispanics, as well. I’m not sure if you are working in a tweaky niche or if you are merely much more aware of the iPhones than of other brands. Seeing as even Asians prefer other phones to the iPhone by a two-to-one margin, I can’t see how your “observed statistic” can stand up.
But, I’m not calling you a liar, or even claiming you are mistaken.
Another day, another wildly varying estimate of smartphone market percentages – which are completely meaningless.
Whatever, Apple and their developers are still the only one making a real profit out of smartphones, and that’s not going to change for years, if ever.
Google has set up their fake “open” system to benefit themselves only – and that will look very shortsighted – if manufacturers and developers can’t make money out of it, and users can’t upgrade, they will find their strategy to be very much a dead end one.
@Spark
Being available from any carrier is not enough. The growth curve for Android is unreal and Apple cannot catch up, because they’re just one shop churning out iPhones as fast as they can make them against EVERYONE ELSE churning out Android phones.
There’s no way Apple can outgrow Android. And if you count the “help” they get from exclusive carriers like Movistar Venezuela which bought ONE lot of 5000 iPhones, sold out in one day, and said no more were coming, well… it’s just uphill from there.
Android is given away FREE to any device manufacturer who wants to build a POS. Or have a buy one get one free. Why don’t these people show the real numbers when you put the actual Google branded Phone. Lets see the sales number for that vs iPhone or BB. C’mon, lets see it.
Apple doesn’t have to sell the most phones, just the best ones. And since they develop the entire hardware/software experience, and don’t offer two-fers, they still make the lion share of profit.
Now add the App Store into the mix, and it’s a lock that the iPhone will always be a major player in the industry.
It’s the same with the Mac. Apple doesn’t have to have the biggest share of the market to be wildly successful. And this is in a very competitive industry, that for most other players has razor thin profit margins.
Welfare families have better phones than the Gateses and the Ballmers.
Is it politically correct to write “white”?
But isn’t more better? I mean so your profits are razor thin and you have to support 10x the amount apple does. At least your posted numbers are higher and that means you have a better system right?
@ Mebucaine,
Um… who cares?
The unfortunate thing that MDN always fails to point out when they talk about iOS numbers is that it includes not only iPhones, but iPod Touch and iPads. If you want to look at Apples real iPhone numbers world wide it’s a much different story. Android rules that market even over RIM and Symbian.
Effectively, the iPhone is growing at the same rate as the market. Hence their percentage is the same. With Verizon we should expect that number to go up at least 10-15 points.
Android is also obviously catching up. The verizon iphone will make a dent in their growth this and next quarter. With 2 for 1 deals Android will alway end up with a greater market share.
Poor old blackberries will have a hard time staying relevant. In two years time they will be in the same boat as Palm. Got to innovate to survive dudes.
US only, therefore the figures don’t mean much. The real victor in the smartphone supremacy fight will be the company that dominates Asia. That’s where the money will be.