Android’s global share of the operating system space has been declining over the past five years. Its worldwide market share in January 2022 dipped below 70%, to 69.74%. In contrast, in July 2018, Android held a market share of 77.32%, its highest ever.
Android’s loss of market share boils down to heightened competition within the OS space. A look at the data shows that iOS gained 6% between July 2018 and January 2022. From 19.4% then, Apple has grown its OS market share to 25.49%. Other small scale OS developers account for the remaining 1.58% that Google shed.
Available data shows that the OS’ dominance is geographic. For instance, 84% of all smartphones in Africa are android-based. iOS accounts for roughly 14% of the continent’s devices, while Samsung, Nokia, and KaiOS share the remaining two percent or so.
A similar situation obtains in Europe, where Android OS has a market share of 69.32%. iOS registers better prospects here than it does in Africa, as it runs 30% of all the phones here. Again Samsung, Nokia and other developers have to contend with a miserly 1% of the market.
The Asian and South American continents have Android dominating at 81 and 90 percent, respectively. iOS share here is 18% in Asia and 10% in South America. Other OS developers share less than one percent of the phone market on both continents.
It’s a close-fought battle between iOS and Android in N. America and Oceania though the former edges it. iOS commands 54% of the market in both regions, while Android takes nearly 45%. Again the other developers share the remaining one percent.
MacDailyNews Take: Real iPhones vs. Poor Man’s iPhones. Same as it ever was.
“All men are created equal.”
Well, not when it comes to users of smartphones and tablets…
The bottom line: Those who settle for Android devices are not equal to iOS users. The fact is that iOS users are worth significantly more than Android settlers to developers, advertisers, third-party accessory makers (speakers, cases, chargers, cables, etc.), vehicle makers, musicians, TV show producers, movie producers, book authors, carriers, retailers, podcasters… The list goes on and on.
The quality of the customer matters. A lot.
Facile “analyses” that look only at market (unit) share, equating one Android settler to one iOS user, make a fatal error by incorrectly equating users of each platform one-to-one.
When it comes to mobile operating systems, all users are simply not equal. – SteveJack, MacDailyNews, November 15, 2014
Android is pushed to users who are, in general:
a) confused about why they should be choosing an iPhone over an inferior knockoff and therefore might be less prone to understand/explore their devices’ capabilities or trust their devices with credit card info for shopping; and/or
b) enticed with “Buy One Get One Free,” “Buy One, Get Two or More Free,” or similar ($100 Gift Cards with Purchase) offers.
Neither type of customer is the cream of the crop when it comes to successful engagement or coveted demographics; closer to the bottom of the barrel than the top, in fact. Android can be widespread and still demographically inferior precisely because of the way in which and to whom Android devices are marketed. Unending BOGO promos attract a seemingly unending stream of cheapskate freetards just as inane, pointless TV commercials about robots or blasting holes in concrete walls attract meatheads and dullards, not exactly the best demographics unless you’re peddling muscle building powders or grease monkey overalls.
Google made a crucial mistake: They gave away Android to “partners” who pushed and continue to push the product into the hands of the exact opposite type of user that Google needs for Android to truly thrive. Hence, Android is a backwater of second-rate, or worse, app versions that are only downloaded when free or ad-supported – but the Android user is notoriously cheap, so the ads don’t sell for much because they don’t work very well. You’d have guessed that Google would have understood this, but you’d have guessed wrong.
Google built a platform that depends heavily on advertising support, but sold it to the very type of customer who’s the least likely to patronize ads.
iOS users are the ones who buy apps, so developers focus on iOS users. iOS users buy products, so accessory makers focus on iOS users. iOS users have money and the proven will to spend it, so vehicle makers focus on iOS users. Etcetera. Android can have the Hee Haw demographic. Apple doesn’t want it or need it; it’s far more trouble than it’s worth. – MacDailyNews, November 26, 2012
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Shop The Apple Store at Amazon.
This trend is not surprising, Apple’s had many opportunities to focus on making a cheap product to drive quick profits but chose to focus on quality user experience, to drive sustained profits.
People know a good experience and value when they see it.
Oh goody, more people buying Apple. What a load of BŚ