Maintaining its position as the top operating system in the US, Google’s Android OS has a bright future ahead.
Samsung phones and HTC devices in particular have been assisting Google to this title, competing with Apple for the top spots in many best-selling smartphone charts. According to sales figures, almost 50% of smartphones in the US in November 2011 ran Android, an increase of around 3% from the start of the previous quarter. Apple held only 28.7%, limited by the fact that the only devices running their iOS were Apple iPhones, whilst Android is available on devices from a number of different manufacturers. This was still an increase on earlier figures, however, whilst Blackberry manufacturer Research in Motion had lost some of their share at just 16.6%. Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system hasn’t yet started to make headway as a major player, in spite of the company’s efforts, holding just 5.2% of the market.
Following reports of almost 7 million Android and iOS devices activated over the Christmas weekend, it seems extremely likely that Google and Apple will continue to increase their shares of the market during 2012. RIM are losing their place, whilst Microsoft have yet to prove they that can even begin to compete with these two powerhouses. Android also have some extra momentum at the moment due to the recent release of their 4.0 update, Ice Cream Sandwich, which is systematically being brought to existing Android devices whilst numerous new handsets are being announced that will run the newest OS from the word go. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus was the first Android phone to receive the update, although there were then issues with battery life that Google have yet to resolve.
Although Microsoft have attempted to get their foot in the door, it may be too little too late with Android and Apple battling it out for OS dominance in 2012.
