Should developers begin hitching themselves to Google’s train? TechCrunch reports that Google’s Android OS for smartphones is beginning to catch up to Apple’s iOS-based. ComScore, a Virginia-based market research firm, released data showing that Android made strong gains in the market from July 2010 to October 2010, rising from 17 percent to 23.5 percent. In contrast, Apple has a small jump from 23.8 percent to 24.5 percent in the same period.
At the same time, Rovio Mobile, who recently ported its hit game Angry Birds over to the OS, is seeing revenue gains on the ad-supported version of the game. Peter Vesterbacka, the man behind the game, said that Rovio is projecting “earnings of over $1 million per month with the ad-supported version of Angry Birds.” The game has been downloaded more than 5 million times since its launch in October.
Yesterday, Google revealed the tablet supporting version of the Android OS, code-named Honeycomb. Can Google shake the foundations of Apple’s iOS onslaught?
2 Comments
December 7, 2010
I love my EVO and wanted an Android for the longest, so its good that they are starting to get the recognition they deserve. Plus with them available on different carriers they make it less of a hassle with with features like Google Talk and Google products that you can still contact people without using your minutes and carrier. I also love the Chrome to Phone app, so anything I look on the computer I can send the page to my phone.
December 7, 2010
I have an Android phone and an iPad. I'm pleased with both for different reasons, which is why there is definitely room for two major smartphone and tablet platforms. And as a consumer, I'll move between them (within reason) since they are exceptionally similar.
But what this study ignores, to its detriment, is that Google's Android market share is heavily fragmented with different variations of its OS. Not only the version 1 software that is still out there, but the different version 2.1 and 2.2 Froyo models. Further, Google allows handset makers and wireless carriers to bog their OS down with their own "stores" and other features further fragmenting the market and making updates difficult.
So while Apple's share is a full 24.5%, I bet the share of Android 2.2 phones (the most directly comparable to Apple's latest iOS) is probably about 12% to 15%.