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Android, iOS comprise 91.1% of the world's smart phones –IDC


Nine out of 10 smartphones in the world ran either Google's Android or Apple's iOS in the fourth quarter of 2012, according to figures from market intelligence provider International Data Corp. (IDC).
 
IDC said Android and iOS combined for 91.1 percent of the worldwide smartphone market in the fourth quarter, and 87.6 percent for the year.
 
"The dominance of Android and Apple reached a new watermark in the fourth quarter. Android boasted a broad selection of smartphones, and an equally deep list of smartphone vendor partners. Finding an Android smartphone for nearly any budget, taste, size, and price was all but guaranteed during 2012. As a result, Android was rewarded with market-beating growth," said Ramon Llamas, research manager with IDC's Mobile Phone team.
 
Llamas added demand for Apple's iPhone 5 kept iOS in front, while lower prices on the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S "brought iOS within reach of more users and sustained volume success of older models."
 
"Even with the Apple Maps debacle, iPhone owners were not deterred from purchasing new iPhones," he added.
 
IDC figures showed 207.6 million Android and Apple smartphones were shipped in the fourth quarter of 2012, up 70.2 percent from 122 million units in the same period in 2011.
 
For 2012, Android and iOS combined for 87.6 percent of 722.4 million smartphones shipped worldwide, up from 68.1 percent of 494.5 million units shipped in calendar year 2011.
 
IDC said Android maintained its triple-digit growth for the year, with Korea-based Samsung the biggest contributor to the platform's success.
 
Samsung accounted for 42 percent of all Android smartphone shipments during 2012.
 
For its part, iOS registered double-digit growth in the last quarter of 2012 and 2012 overall, though iOS's year-over-year growth slowed compared to the overall market.
 
"The smaller volumes during 2Q12 and to a smaller extent 3Q12 underscore the possibility for a mid-year iPhone release in order to maintain market-beating growth. Speculation about the release of possible larger-screen and inexpensive models during the middle of 2013 continues to follow Apple, which would help sustain growth. But until any model is formally announced, speculation remains simply that," it added.
 
Microsoft, BlackBerry
 
A far third and fourth are BlackBerry and Microsoft, which IDC noted had been working on recently launched competing platforms.
 
Microsoft, which placed fourth in terms of smartphone operating systems in the fourth quarter of 2012, launched Windows Phone 8 in 4Q12.
 
BlackBerry, which placed third, released BB10 in January.
 
"With the recent introductions of two new smartphone platforms we expect some ground to be made by the new entrants over the coming years," said Ryan Reith, program manager with IDC's Mobile Device Trackers.
 
Reith said that while the road ahead will be uphill for Microsoft and BlackBerry, "history shows us consumers are open to change."
 
"Platform diversity is something not only the consumers have asked for, but also the operators," he added.
 
On the other hand, BlackBerry's grip on enterprise users has loosened and its popularity in emerging markets diminished by the competition.
 
But with BB10, BlackBerry has the challenge of migrating current BlackBerry users to upgrade while persuading smartphone users of other platforms, including previous BlackBerry users, to switch.
 
Meanwhile, Microsoft's Windows Phone/Windows Mobile made market-beating progress in 4Q12 and 2012, with Nokia's commitment behind the platform.
 
Nokia accounted for 76 percent of all Windows Phone/Windows Mobile smartphone shipments, though the list of smartphone vendors using Windows Phone is short.
 
Linux flat
 
IDC said Linux remained flat from the previous year, with NEC and Panasonic moving to Android and newcomers K-Touch and Haier making up the difference.
 
But it added Linux-based smartphones from SailFish, Tizen, and Ubuntu may launch this year, even if they may need time and investment to gain momentum in the market.
 
Market share
 
In the fourth quarter of 2012, Android had a 70.1-percent share of the market (52.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011), with iOS at 21 percent (23 percent in the same period in 2011).
 
BlackBerry had a mere 3.2 percent (8.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011), Windows Phone/Mobile with 2.6 percent (1.5 percent in fourth quarter of 2011), and Linux with 1.7 percent (2.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011).
 
For the entire 2012, Android grabbed a 68.8-percent market share (49.2 percent in 2011), followed by iOS with 18.8 percent (same in 2011), BlackBerry with 4.5 percent (from 10.3 percent in 2011), Symbian with 3.3 percent (from 16.5 percent in 2011), and Windows Phone/Mobile with 2.5 percent (1.8 percent in 2011). — TJD, GMA News
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