Market research firm IDC's latest numbers showcase the continued rise of Android, which now commands an 81.3 percent market share, up from 78.7 percent in 2013. The entry-level segment was seen as the major growth driver in 2014 as device sales crossed a billion units for the first time. The firm noted that Android and iOS now account for 96.3 percent of all smartphone shipments, a slight increase from the 95.6 percent commanded by the two leading mobile platforms in 2013.
iOS claimed a market share of 14.8 percent, a slight decrease from the 15.1 percent it witnessed in 2013. Windows Phone and BlackBerry also saw a decline in market share from 3.3 percent to 2.7 percent and 1.9 percent to 0.4 percent. Year-on-year growth for BlackBerry declined by 69 percent, while Windows Phone saw a growth of 4.2 percent.
Even though Samsung faced a decline in sales last year, the handset manufacturer sold more devices than the next five vendors combined. Most of the growth, however, came from Chinese vendors such as Xiaomi, Huawei, Lenovo and ZTE. Xiaomi announced that it sold 61.12 million smartphones in 2014, with Huawei achieving 75 million sales.
Both vendors are set to continue the momentum into 2015 by focusing heavily on India, which is the fastest-growing market in Asia, according to the IDC. With LTE services finally rolling out across a majority of the country, affordable 4G handsets will pave the way for sales in India. Samsung already announced three 4G-enabled devices for the budget segment in India, and Xiaomi counts the Redmi Note 4G in this space. Huawei struck a deal with carriers in the country to test their 4G networks, and the vendor is set to introduce budget handsets that offer LTE connectivity in the coming months.
Source: IDC
Reader comments
Android sees uptick in market share in 2014 after one billion device sales
I'm impressed with Microsoft. It must have been extremely difficult to realize that they'll never be a major player in mobile OS, yet they've bit the bullet and put out quality apps for Android and ios in the areas where they are still leaders. Not an easy thing for an individual or a Corp to swallow their ego like that.
Imagine where blackberry would be today if they had swallowed their pride and out out their services and messenger app to all platforms years ago.
Posted via Android Central App
They would have been in the same place as what Microsoft is today in mobile... that's where.
I look for Microsoft to get out of the phone manufacturering business. They have elected to flood the market with low end devices to capitalize on developing nations and forgo the flagship phones completely. They are pushing their software to be write once run anywhere and can continue to reap the royalties from both Android and Google and still make a ton of cash in the process on returns without the huge investment of capital... With them it's always been about the bottom line and profits. Enterprise software is owned by them and they really have no solid competition. Sure upgrading older hardware is needed but most businesses already knew that and many are in the process and most 3rd party software development is going along with them.
They really don't need to make phones as long as their software is in demand on the other platforms and can sync with the enterprise applications with iPhone and Android phones.
All they have to do is get Cortana and xbox fully functional on Android and IOS and it's all over.... Katie bar the doors...
Posted via Android Central App on my HTC M8
They could have dominated the messenger space instead of whatsapp/ichat and hangouts. It may be hard to remember, but there was a time when everyone wanted to be on BBM. And they could have been the major player in the enterprise/secure device space if they teamed with Android OEMs/Google.
I agree that Microsoft will likely at some point drop mobile hardware and OSs, and they likely see that too which is why they aren't wasting time and are making themselves a major player in mobile apps/services right now, and not waiting till its too late.
It shouldn't be long.
Firstly because Satya Nadella was against the deal with Nokia. Secondly because Bill Gates was against the deal with Nokia. Thirdly because Microsoft knows that Windows Phone isn't going anywhere. Specially since Nokia left.
Add to that the fact that developers keep dropping support for Windows Phone, and the fact that Microsoft apps have always worked better on Android and iOS than they do on Windows Phone.
You know, Microsoft Mobile - the "phone division" of Microsoft - is a separate company. The people they got from Nokia's ex-D&S division, well, the ones that weren't fired, were put into a separate company - Microsoft Mobile - and not inside Microsoft itself. This alone should give you a hint at Microsoft's belief in their own phone division.
I too am looking for Microsoft to drop the phone division and Windows Phone with it. There's no future to it without OEM support and therefore developer support.
At a point, Microsoft's plans for the phone division were to with their phones what they do with the Surface and the Microsoft Band: create a reference device for other OEMs. It worked quite well with the Surface.
Except the Surface runs full-blown Windows. Even with Windows 10 for mobile (or whatever they end up calling it since they seem to not have decided yet), I don't think they can reproduce that with phones. There's just no demand for Windows "mobile". Specially when there's already a Windows-like OS on the market - Android.
Wow! You are something else. Developers keep dropping support? Really? You need to stop
Yes, dropping support. Banks leaving, TVs cancelling plans when not apps, developers abandoning games while others actively shut down apps and don't provide one (Snapchat anyone?)
WP Fanboys and fangirls may not like it but all that is happening. WP is a flop. Everyone knows it, even Microsoft. The only ones in denial are the WP fanboys and fangirls.
I completely agree with you, oscarnyc. This indicates to me that Microsoft has the ambition necessary to be a major player, in some form or another. The old Microsoft would never admit that their way wasn't working. They've completely changed their game.
"Even though Samsung faced a decline in sales last year, the handset manufacturer sold more devices than the next five vendors combined." I guess there's a reason why they flood the market with phones. They sold more phones and still feel like they need to start over from the ground up and improve their handsets. I can respect that
Apple makes over 80% of the profits, they are winning in my book. So what will it take to snap the people out of their brainwash state and stop paying $650-$950 for a phone?
Posted via Android Central App on 1+1
you cannot - they are already brainwashed...:)
MS may as well pull the plug on mobile hardware. The consumer market just isn't interested, and has chosen the two primary players. I am probably wrong, but I see MS becoming the next IBM, where they will eventually dump the consumer business to focus mainly on enterprise. I think their real failure was not being able to keep up with the pace of innovation with Google and Apple, and they've paid the price. That and their failure to develop a relevant desktop OS that wasn't a massive failure. They want people to adopt their newest OS by giving it away free, and if their mobile is to survive maybe they should adopt the same strategy there. Problem is, MS isn't the "cool kid" anymore, and it's hip to be seen with fancy fruit logos and galaxy swirls.
In happier news, go Google!
Posted via the Android Central App on N7 '13
"Their failure to develop a relevant desktop OS that wasn't a massive failure" ???
Windows runs on over 90% of the world's desktop/pc's. Lmao.
Posted via the Unrivaled Note 4 or Tab S 10.5
Yeah, win XP/7 are the majority of those numbers....are those current and relevant? What happened to win 8 adoption? It was/is a huge failure. Why is Win 10 being given away free? Because no one would touch it otherwise! And the majority of global PC numbers are enterprise anyway stuck on old OSes, which they'll always have. So yeah LMAO at a company that can't connect with anyone with its current products, and have a commanding share of a market of products that are 10-20 years old! Winning.
Posted via the Android Central App on N7 '13
Over 40% android users are still using Icecream sandwitch/ jelly bean. So your comment doesn't make much sense.
Posted via Sony Xperia Z Ultra
Would love to see when WP goes below 1%.
Why? I bought two budget phones to see what the experience would be like using a budget phone. I got the Moto E and the Nokia 630, both similar priced and with similar specs. I must admit I am quite surprised just how good both of these phones perform, but if I had to choose one over the other I would go for the 630. If you have never tried a windows phone and can afford to buy a cheap one to try, I recommend you give it a go.
Posted via the Android Central App
I never understand these numbers. Are we talking just phones, or anything running Android (including the cheap tablets furniture stores give away)? I ask because all I see people using are iPhones.
These are global smartphone numbers.
All i see are iPhone users. In movies. In real life i see a mix. Mostly android, but lots of iPhones too.
So do you notice all these iPhones amongst billions of people! IPhone users are not in the same league as Android users.
The reason different people have different experiences with how many iPhones vs. Android phones they see in the wild is that it is very regional: http://www.mobify.com/blog/ios-vs-android-in-2012/ (Unfortunately I cannot find a map more recent than 2012). And yes, where I live is mostly iPhones.
iPhones have a greater concentration in the US. Try traveling overseas and you will mainly see Android.
As was said, this is global numbers. People in China, India, Taiwan, and so forth can't afford flagship devices. It's why that even with Apple entering the market in China, they just can't compete there. Apple wouldn't even be big in the US if it weren't for subsidies. Ask yourself, without subsidies, just who do you know that can afford to buy a $650 to $750 device every 2 years in cash?
Even with such subsidies, Apple only has about a 42% market share in the US.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckjones/2014/06/04/apples-u-s-iphone-mark...
Total Android market share in the US is a drop higher.
Posted via Android Central App using the all new HTC One (m8)
If there were no such thing as subsidies, Apple wouldn't charge $650-$750 per device.
The reason the outright prices are high is because they want you to purchase the phones on a contract.
Except what you just said is contradicted by the rest of the World. Here in Europe we buy our phones outright. An iPhone can cost you over US$1000 and people still buy them. There's absolutely no tradition of contracts and even less of subsidies.
However, for the same reason, Apple has a far inferior market share with many countries even seeing Windows Phone (Italy) beating the iPhone.
Posted via the Android Central App
You're always so full of it. But I guess that's what it's like being a spin doctor on the internet. I've lived in five different European countries and generally people buy phones on contract, especially when we're talking about flagship devices.
I'm European, I've lived in Europe all my life. I know what I'm talking about and I say you're a liar. But you need to pass as smart...What can ya do...
Posted via the Android Central App
Just like everybody's driving Bentley's in Europe, like you argued the other week? :D
Except I never argued that and I defy you to post a link to such a comment.
You should have come up with a more rare "name" if you want to troll like that. It literally took Google .0001 of a second to find it with a search on your name and bentley.
Apple 'just can't compete' in China? You better tell them (and every other smartphone manufacturer) that, because apple last quarter had the highest (or tied for highest, depending whose numbers you use) market share of any manufacturer there.
Not only that, when you discuss market share you have one company (apple) competing against android, which has many companies producing devices that use it. There was no way Apple could ever have a higher market share based on the sheer volume of android models that exist. That they hold the market share they do is irrelevant; the profit numbers are all that matters. (After all, these companies exist to make money. If they don't, they start pulling out of these segments or curtailing their involvement)
Nailed it. And regarding profits, Apple makes all of it.
http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-is-taking-93-of-the-profits-in-the-...
Posted via the Android Central App
Exactly. Who cares about market share? Companies just flood the market with entry-level models that will never ever see an update and sold at either such a miniscule profit or cost.
The fight for the bottom is a fruitless war.
Posted via the Android Central App
Entry level phones are the new Burner phones.
Usable and cheap enough to throw away/(recycle) when you want to get the next best thing.
Rooted Galaxy S III
Stock Galaxy Note 4
Rooted LG G2
If it ain't Tech, it ain't Right!
What, apple's first day sold 70,000 iPhone 6 and 6+ in china and million by weeks end, it's why Apple recorded the biggest sales numbers ever by a company, world record number. China has a larger middle class than the US does, and these people have disposable incomes.
I was able to afford a Nexus 6 full price by being smart, I budgeted $50 a month for a year when I knew I would be wanting a phone the next year. When there is a will there is a way.
You pay more with 199.99phone+ 2 year contract vs 649.99 phone/749.99 phone + off contract(similiar packages), that's even factoring in the time value of money.
For example: ATT's 3GB plan would cost you $80+tax and fees(another $8-9) a month, compared to Cricket's 2.5GB plan for $35 tax included. Run a spreadsheet yourself and it is fairly obvious you save over $400 over a 2 year contract even with a discount rate equal to 2-year treasury bond yields.
42%? You need to update your research. Last quarter, Apple rose to 51%, and Android was at 52%.
They are coming
Nothing I shoot ever gets back up again