Android clearly got analysts excited these days. Gartner now says that it will outgrow every other popular mobile OS and challenge Symbian for market leadership within 3 years.
Perhaps iOS just got old. Or we a realizing that Apple’s walled garden approach has its limits and it may not be the right way to conquer the world. Gartner analysts believe that Android will outgrow every other major mobile OS over the next few years and will be the first and only mobile OS in recent history that will be able to approach the volume of Symbian OS.
Android is estimated to be powering about 47.5 million devices this year and 91.9 million next year. If the numbers reflect reality, then Android will be overtaking Apple’s iOS as the world third most popular OS (41.5 million units) and RIM’s Blackberry OS this year as the world’s second most popular mobile OS (46.9 million units for 2010). Symbian will keep the clear lead this and next year with 107.7 million and 141.3 million units, respectively. By 2014, Android will ship in 259.3 million units per year and just be slightly behind Symbian with 264.4 million units, if Gartner is right.
While Symbian and Blackberry OS are already surrendering market share, iOS will peak in 2011, Gartner believes. Android’s growth will be too strong for iOS to keep the pace and decline in share from 17.1% in 2011 to 14.9% in 2014. In 2014, Android will hold 29.6%, Symbian 30.2% and Blackberry OS 11.7%.
According to Gartner, it may be a waste of time for Microsoft to enter mobile OS market.The market share may reach 5.2% next year, but decline thereafter. The research firm believes that it will fall behind Nokia’s/Intel’s MeeGo by 2014. PalmOS is not mentioned in the list of the five most popular mobile operating systems.
Given the changes we have seen in smartphone growth this year alone we believe that it is rather brave to predict market growth for those operating systems for four years. Who knows what will happen next year?
According to Strategy Analytics, a simple smartphone won’t be enough for you anymore, if you want to remain on the cutting edge of mobile phone. You will need a “superphone”, a device that is defined as a phone with a screen larger than 4” and a processor with a clock speed of more than 1 GHz.
Via : conceivablytech.com
