Skip to main content

Android is on almost half the world’s smartphones

Almost half of the world’s smartphones are running Android, according to a new report.

After conducting a study of the global smartphone marketplace, research firm Canalys presented their findings this week — and things look good for the Google platform. When all was said and done, 48 percent of the market belongs to Android.

Unsurprisingly, Apple’s iOS came in a distant second with 19 percent of the market (overtaking Nokia’s Symbian platform), though the iPhone manufacturer ranked as the top smartphone vendor in the world.

The report went on to indicate that the disparity between Google and Apple in the smartphone platform market is primarily a result of Android’s availability on products from many of the major smartphone manufacturers, while Apple’s platform is an iPhone-only offering. Major handset producers like Samsung, HTC, and Motorola all offer strong support for Android-enabled smartphones.

When the results were broken down by region, the Asia-Pacific market was weighted heavily in favor of Google’s Android system. In South Korea, 85 percent of the country’s smartphones run Android. Taiwan boasts a similar, Android-heavy marketplace with 71 percent of the smartphones favoring the Google platform.

Of the 56 nations that factored into the firm’s research, Android was the dominant platform in 35 of them.

After Google and Apple, mainstays like Blackberry-friendly platform RIM (which was the dominant platform in Latin America) filled out the rest of the market, though it’s worth noting that products running Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform accounted for just 1 percent of the global market.

Apple loyalists take note, however: the divide between Google and Apple in the U.S. is much narrower. According to recent studies, Android holds 39 percent of the American smartphone marketplace, with iOS following close behind at 28 percent.

Along with all of the platform data, the report also found that the global smartphone market is on the rise, with a 73-percent jump from last year.

Rick Marshall
A veteran journalist with more than two decades of experience covering local and national news, arts and entertainment, and…
Here’s how iOS 18 will make iMessage better than ever
Close-up photo of the Messages app on an iPhone.

We can't wait for Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2024) keynote on Monday, June 10. During that event, Apple will undoubtedly introduce iOS 18 for iPhones, including the iPhone 15 Pro. The rumor mill has long suggested that iOS 18 may be a giant iPhone update.

Now, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has given us a peek at what changes could be coming to iMessage in the upcoming software update.

Read more
Here’s how iOS 18 is going to overhaul your iPhone’s email app
An iPhone showing the home screen in someone's hand.

We're just days away from Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2024), which means we're about to get our first look at iOS 18. The new iPhone operating system is expected to get RCS texting in the iMessage app, more customization options for the home screen, and maybe a significant design change overall. Now comes word that changes will be made to the native Mail app.

According to AppleInsider, the Mail app is about to undergo a significant transformation. It's getting a powerful new search tool, Smart Replies, automatic sorting for different email types, and more. But the real excitement lies in the app's expected integration of AI functionality, a feature becoming a hallmark of iOS 18.

Read more
Apple just admitted defeat to Android phones
A Google Pixel 8 Pro in Porcelain (left) with an iPhone 15 Pro in Blue Titanium held in hand.

For years, Apple’s smartphones have held a decisive upper hand over Android devices in one crucial aspect: the longevity of the software support cycle. In a nutshell, as long as your phone keeps getting updates, it will run just about fine.

Brand assurances play a crucial role in buyer behavior, as long-term update support means your phone will not only get new tricks but also security flaws patched. Notably, Apple is not into the habit of quoting how many years it will offer software support for each device, but it has held the crown for a while.

Read more