Android Still Dominates Smartphones Globally — But Apple Is Gaining Ground
With Apple ( AAPL ) set to release the iPhone 14 today, it's easy to imagine that many people have an iPhone. This is true in the US: recent studies show that iPhones are more than 50% of smartphones in the country. In other parts of the world, well, it's a different story.
According to web analytics service StatCounter, Android accounted for 71.54% of the global mobile device market in August, while Apple's iOS had a 27.81% share. Now, if you look at these numbers and think, "Most of them are cell phones," you're right. The next major competitor, Samsung, can claim 0.42% of the global mobile operating system market.
Despite all the hype surrounding the iPhone, Android is still the dominant mobile operating system in the world. And it's not even close. However, there are indications that Apple may eventually gain global dominance, including as the smartphone of choice in the world's two largest economies.
Built in Silicon Valley, Android was bought by Google (GOOG, GOOGL) in 2005 for $50 million. Currently, Android comes pre-installed with Google apps like Chrome or Google Play, and Apps Business estimates that there are over 2.5 billion Android users worldwide.
As part of this, the iPhone In the year By 2021, Apple has announced that the number of active iPhone users will exceed 1 billion, a milestone long overdue. In the year In 2016, the billionth iPhone was sold.
There are many reasons why Android dominates the world, including the fact that Android is often much cheaper than the iPhone. Last year, demand for high-end iPhones soared, with the average selling price of an iPhone reaching $873. Meanwhile, Statista estimates that the average price of an Android phone is $261 each.
However, scale may be in Apple's favor when it comes to gaining market share.
Despite Android's global dominance, its long-term trajectory will benefit Apple, according to Andrew Boone, an analyst at Citizens-owned JMP Securities. Of course, the extent to which the iPhone has taken over the United States supports this point. According to Counterpoint Research, the iPhone accounts for nearly half of US smartphone shipments.
There are also indications that Apple has become a leading player in the smartphone market in China. Huawei has already gained traction in China's smartphone market - the world's largest - according to a survey released in January that shows Apple is gaining momentum from domestic Chinese rivals.
By shipping 9.9 million iPhones to China in the second quarter of 2022, Apple maintained its position in China despite the outbreak. During the Covid-19 lockdown, the company reduced demand for the iPhone in China, but demand has picked up again.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said: "We are seeing a decline in demand due to the COVID-19 lockdown in cities affected by the COVID-19 lockdown, and we are seeing a recovery in these cities at the end of the June quarter." Analysts on the phone about the company's July earnings.
Androids are taking over the world today, but that doesn't mean they don't have reason to be paranoid.
Eli Garfinkel is a senior technology reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter at @agarfinks.
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