Google Android kicks ass. Their Android platform has taken almost 50 percent of the global smartphone market, dominating in the Asia-Pacific region. Android, which Google acquired in 2005 and launched on phones in 2008 was the number one platform in 35 of the 56 countries Canalys tracks, resulting in a market share of 48 percent. Apple, which shipped 20.3 million iPhones, is a distant second with a market share of 19 percent. Apple has now overtaken Nokia as the world’s largest individual smartphone vendor. Samsung also overtook Nokia and – get this – Canalys said the South Korean handset maker could have done better. “Samsung has failed to fully capitalize on Nokia’s weakened state around the world, as the Finnish company rides out a challenging transitional period,” Canalys analyst Chris Jones said. Microsoft, is at 1% of the market globally. Apple continues to experience very strong year-over-year iPhone sales growth in all of its operating segments, Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer said. “iPhone sales momentum in the Asia-Pacific region was particularly robust with sales almost quadrupling year over year.” During the second quarter, Nokia’s smartphone shipments declined 34 percent year over year to 16.7 million units. IDC Research Manager Francisco Jeronimo noted that “This can even get worse over the next quarters as Apple is rumored to launch a cheaper iPhone in September,”. “Nokia will continue losing market share until the new [Windows Phone 7] platform from Microsoft is fully deployed.” In a sense, Nokia have put themselves firmly in Microsoft’s hands and the fate of Windows Phone 7 and Windows Phone 8 will to some extent determine whether Nokia loses a lot more market share. They must be really good at the poker table too…]]>
