“Last week, I talked about the importance for us industry observers, analysts, media, etc., to have a more informed discussion when it comes to Android,” Ben Bajarin writes for TechPinions. “I think it is important when we analyze, from an industry and market viewpoint, that we do so with a holistic viewpoint.”
“My key point in last weeks column was to address the issue of Android platform forking. Android in its purist definition only refers to the AOSP or Android open source platform. Something anyone on the planet can take for their own and fork it, thus differentiating their Android platform and in many cases using the core Android source and making their own platform,” Bajarin writes. “Therefore, as it currently stands we have Google with a platform based on Android, we have Amazon with a platform based on Android and we have Barnes and Noble with a platform based on Android. Each of these platforms is their own unique ecosystem.”
Bajarin writes, “I make this point because when we say Android has X% market share we are talking about the total including all the forks. This is a key point, because when many make the claim that Android is winning the market share game, they often make the mistake of assuming that Android equals Google, therefore assuming that Google’s version of Android has the total Android market share. This is of course false…”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Dominick P.” for the heads up.]
MacDailyNews Take: Android has more forks than a flatware factory, but that doesn’t stop Google from counting and trumpeting them all as “Android activations,” of course.
Cue the “get the fork outa here” jokes in 3… 2…1…
Oh fork you!
****This is a key point, because when many make the claim that Android is winning the market share game, they often make the mistake of assuming that Android equals Google, therefore assuming that Google’s version of Android has the total Android market share. This is of course false…”****
HOORAY! Someone explains “Android” market share correctly.
Now if only somebody would publish it in a mainstream media source…
I really don’t care about market share (from a user’s point of view) and neither does Apple it seems. What I really care about is how well the software meets my needs. Apple really cares about making great products that we will really love.
For the insecure people out there, their whole self worth seems to be tied up in how many people agree with them in purchasing some device. The more that buy XYZ brand, the more they feel secure. We don’t need no stinkin’ market share to enjoy Apple products.
Stick a fork in ’em. They’re done.
Fork Google, Fork Android. Android is the pseudo platform of Swiss Cheez Security. When the “Android platform” (if you can call it such) gets its first REAL financial security breach across millions of Android devices it will be the end game of said pseudo platform. Android is a security nightmare. Those who tell you otherwise are delusional.