4-to-1 ratio of Androids to iPhones represents 20 percent rise
BY ANICK JESDANUN Associated Press
Thursday, August 09, 2012
8/09/12 at 4:04 AM
NEW YORK - Got an iPhone? You're in the minority.
Four Android phones were shipped for every iPhone in the second quarter, research firm IDC reported Wednesday. That's up from a ratio of 2.5 to 1 in the same period last year.
The success of Samsung's Android phones helped Google's operating system extend its dominance in the smartphone market.
Samsung Electronics Co. and other phone makers shipped nearly 105 million Android smartphones in the April-June quarter, giving Android 68 percent of the worldwide market, up from 47 percent last year.
The gains came largely at the expense of BlackBerry phones made by Research in Motion Ltd. and Symbian phones made largely by Nokia Corp. Each saw its market share drop below 5 percent. Nokia is now making phones that use Microsoft Corp.'s Windows system.
The market share for Apple Inc.'s iPhone, powered by its iOS software, fell slightly to 17 percent, from 19 percent. But the company shipped more iPhones than a year ago. Apple is the No. 2 smartphone maker, behind Samsung, and is likely to get a boost when it releases its new iPhone model as expected this fall.
Apple shook up the smartphone market when it released its first iPhone in 2007. It showed that phones can do much more than make calls and send email.
But in recent years, Google has mounted a serious challenge with Android and benefits from having several manufacturers as partners, including Samsung, HTC Corp. and Motorola Mobility, which Google ended up buying this year.
Apple still dominates in tablet computers, with Android tablets well behind the iPad.
Google is trying to close the gap with its own branded tablet, the Nexus 7.
Amazon.com Inc. and Barnes & Noble Inc. have made some in-roads with lower-cost tablets that run modified versions of Android.
Original Print Headline: Ratio of Androids to iPhones 4-to-1
Associated Images:
The Galaxy S III smartphone from Samsung Electronics, equipped with Google's Android operating system, has proven to be a big seller. Bloomberg file
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