Android Finally Outsells iPhone–Yes, Again!
By Harry McCracken | Monday, August 2, 2010 at 8:41 am
JK on the Run’s Kevin C. Tofel is reporting that a new Nielsen study says that Android phones have 27 percent of the US market for smartphones, beating out Apple’s iPhone for the first time. At the same time, another report says that Android has an even heftier 34 percent of the market, making it the country’s most popular mobile OS.
Both factoids sounded familiar. Sure enough, back in May yet another firm (NPD) said that Android had 28 percent of the market to iPhone’s 21 percent. Lesson: Don’t take research reports as gospel.
Everybody agrees that Android phones are outselling iPhones in terms of units. Given how many models are on the market, and how well-marketed some of them are, it’s not surprising that it’s taken the lead–the shocker is that it took this long for such a pervasive OS to beat one that’s on only two phones from one carrier.
For consumers, the unit-sales horse race isn’t all that interesting. It’s the overall health of the competing ecosystems–as reflected in quality and quantity of third-party apps, services, and accessories–that matters. And while Android is making rapid progress here, nobody who’s trying to be even sort of objective will make the case that the Android Market is now the equal of the iPhone Store.
Android now has users in vast quantities; it’s up to Google to polish up the still-mediocre Market and do everything in its power to help developers create lots of exceptional apps.
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August 2nd, 2010 at 10:10 am
I'm still not all that sure why people have decided that the only battleground between Android versus iPhone is the app market. Can't a handset with a 5mp camera, multiple desktops and widgets, email/contact integration, webmail, GPS, etc. stand on its own without the app market?
The iPhone was nice, much like the Blackberry was nice. They both were at the forefront of establishing the next smartphone standard, however, they've both been surpassed. Blackberry revolutionized push mail and the iPhone revolutionized what an end-user expects out of a smart phone. Their latest attempt is the nail in their own coffin. Being able to see who you're talking to on your phone sounds nice in theory, but who's really going to use that?
However, you now have the ability to choose your carrier and get a phone that does what you want. You are not locked into AT&T and have your phone controlled by the manufacturer. I'm probably in the minority being a business user, but my Hero accomplishes everything I need. I know those business users around me that talk about their iPhone can't give a solid reason why it is better than any other Android phone for business use. People talk about them like they're the holy grail. The reality is that they pay an arm and a leg to say "I have an iPhone."
I think the operating system outselling the iPhone is enough to give it a win. It is the public voicing their opinion that they do not want to be told how to use their phone.
I apologize for the rant, but I'm growing tired of the Android OS never getting the credit it deserves.
August 2nd, 2010 at 12:06 pm
I agree with you Devin that the Android is a serious player in the business world.
Apple is stylish, but closed, as a business person, if I cannot easily deploy my apps to it, then who cares.
Blackberry is good at the basics of business, but the extensibility has been limited. Plus the messaging is going through RIM, which has bitten everyone in the past.
Android is an excellent platform because it broke the mold. It is whatever you want it to be, and much more importantly, whatever your business wants it to be.
August 2nd, 2010 at 4:16 pm
"the shocker is that it took this long for such a pervasive OS to beat one that’s on only two phones from one carrier"
This long? It took Android less than 6 months since Nexus One to reach total US market domination! How can you say it took them this long?? The speed in which Android market share is growing is absolutely fenomenal, it is not only selling twice as fast as the iphone, it is even selling faster than RIM already!
August 2nd, 2010 at 4:28 pm
> the shocker is that it took this long for such a pervasive OS to beat one that’s on
> only two phones from one carrier.
Especially when iPhone is not even running on the largest carrier. Verizon has more subscribers than AT&T and Verizon+Sprint is over twice as big. But they are not selling much at all on AT&T or T-Mobile.
August 3rd, 2010 at 6:24 pm
The DOJ should switch it's investigation to Google and it's Android OS since it has a larger market share.
August 3rd, 2010 at 9:57 pm
Personally, I absolutely am a Technology freak, I have almost all Apple products except the iPhone. I hate AT&T and will never use them again with their outrageous prices! But I do have the Sprint EVO and it's absolutely the best phone I have ever had and I pay half of what all you AT&T iPhone users do! If Apple decides to go with Sprint in the future, then I may go to the iPhone, but for now the new Sprint EVO is incredible.
August 4th, 2010 at 4:25 am
Hamranhansenhansen is right in responding to Tom, who's misinformed. http://www.apple.com/iphone/business/apps/in-hous… http://www.apple.com/iphone/business/profiles/
August 6th, 2010 at 10:40 am
The formula is simple,
open system = stability+freedom of apps+less price —-> true for Android
closed box = bugs+slavery of apps+pay a fortune ——-> true for IPhone
I'd go 4 Android.
August 7th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
I think that the biggest thing right now going on in the Android's favor competing against the iPhone is the number of carriers who offer Android phones versus Apple being locked into just AT&T. I keep hearing that some day Verizon, and others, will pick up the iPhone but I sure would like to know when. I keep waiting for the day when Verizon will support the iPhone.