Android Sales Overtake iPhone in the U.S.

[Vehl]

Sales of Google Android phones in the U.S. are rising so quickly, the devices have outsold Apple handsets for the first time on record. New smartphone subscribers choosing Google phones accounted for 27 percent of U.S. smartphone sales, the Nielsen Company will announce this morning, nudging past the 23 percent share held by Apple. But Android isn’t just a U.S. phenomenon: Canalys today estimates that Android handset sales grew 886 percent worldwide from the year ago quarter.

It’s easier to show stellar growth in the beginning of a product cycle, but Android is nearly two years old. One could make the valid argument that Android really began to mature over the past year with Android 2.1, so from that standpoint, Google’s platform is still an infant when compared to iOS4, BlackBerry and other mobile operating systems. But the uptake of Android among handset-makers is another factor in such growth. Motorola’s Mobile Device division has swung from losses to profits on the back of Android, for example. And HTC — once primarily a Windows Mobile phone maker — embraced Android even as Microsoft’s mobile platform is undergoing a major facelift. The result? HTC revenues were up 66 percent in June from a year ago.

http://gigaom.com/2010/08/02/android-sales-overtake-iphone-in-the-u-s/

I welcome this news..and was bound to happen. An open OS/system will always beat one that is not.
Its the natural tendency of humans...to gravitate towards that which gives one control over one's choices.

IMHO i would predict that during the course of this year, and the next, the android sales would see even faster growth.




(ps: was first posted on HP)

[Codeine]

1. Of course they are -- there are dozens of phones using Android.

That's like saying "sales of American cars outpaced Toyota this year."

[laconicsax]

2. It's the same thing that led to Apple never gaining significant market share in the PC market

Or what led to VHS winning out over Beta. If you make something widely available, it's going to do better than if you keep it closed.

[trumad]

3. Agree

It should say phones using the Android platform.

[Vehl]

4. Just like the Mac Vs PC thing

Would it be incorrect to say that PCs have overwhelming market share compared to Mac's? no. The same applies to this issue.. just like Windows PCs; these phones all run Android.Ergo the comparition is not exactly wrong.

If one looks at the android vs Iphone thing...its not the fault of android that so many phones use it..cos its an OS..and not a phone by itself.

the same applies to the Microsoft vs Mac thing.

Its ironic to see Apple making the same mistakes with the iphone as it made in the initial battle of Mac Vs PC..which resulted in the PC domination of the market

and not surprisingly..the same person who's worldview that resulted in the aforementioned, is also the current head of Apple.
One would have expected Jobs to modify/change his worldview in light of past history, but apparently he is sticking to his guns.

I'll be surprised if this Android vs Apple thing does not turn out the way the Mac vs PC thing did...history does repeat itself. Its virtually impossible for one company to compete against dozens of companies which all make use of a open development environment.

[joshcryer]

5. For software developers this is significant.

For hardware sellers it's not, so much. But Google knows where the money is.

[Ter]

6. Why is Apple so arrogant?

Why no SD/MicroSD card support for the iPhone/iPad? Why no ability to change batteries? Why no USB/mini USB? Why must every app get Apple's approval? The iPhone is amazing, but things like this will lead to its collapse.

[laconicsax]

7. Because they haven't gone belly-up yet.

Name a time when Apple's practices weren't a version of "my way or the highway."

[romana]

8. Why is this in the Science forum? n/t

[Vehl]

9. I didnt know which sub-forum to post this in....

so i thought maybe the science (i thought of it as science/tech forum) would be a better choice rather than breaking news or general discussions.