Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS dominate the field of smartphone operating systems. Today, 7 out of 10 phones run on the Android operating system, while two out of three are more likely to run on iOS. Sometimes one of these three uses one of the other, lesser-known operating systems. However, according to market barometer data, the dominance of Android is coming under increasing pressure from other players.
StockApps.com has provided data showing that Android’s global operating system dominance is gradually declining. Its global market share was 69.74% as of January 2022. On the other hand, in July 2018, OS held its highest ever market share at 77.32%. It has lost 7.58% of its market share over the past five years.
Why is Android market share falling?
So what’s behind this erosion of Android’s dominance of the operating system market? StockApps.com’s finance expert Edith Reads has been following industry trends. She attributes Android’s loss of ground to increasing competition in the space.
Here is his analysis: The loss of Android market share is due to increased competition in the operating system space. Looking at the data, iOS grew 6% between July 2018 and January 2022. From then 19.4% Apple increased its OS market share to 25.49%. Other small operating system developers account for the remaining 1.58% lost by Google.
Market dominance of smartphone operating systems (percentage dominance)
However, Edith doesn’t think Android’s dominance poses a threat. She believes Android’s open-source nature and affordability has led to it being loved by the masses around the world. She adds that Google has built an unassailable moat and it will take something extraordinary from Apple and others to topple it.
Operating system dominance and geography
Available data shows that OS dominance is geographic. For example, 84% of all smartphones in Africa are Android-based. iOS accounts for about 14% of devices on the continent, leaving about two percent for third-party mobile operating systems.
A similar situation occurs in Europe, where Android OS has a 69.32% market share. iOS has better prospects in Europe than in Africa as it runs on almost 30% of all phones. Again, third-party mobile operating systems have to share a very small market share (about 1%).
Asia and South America are also dominated by Android with 81% and 90% market share respectively. The share of iOS here is 18% in Asia and 10% in South America. Other operating system developers share less than one percent of the telephony market on the two continents.
It’s a tight battle between iOS and Android in North America and Oceania, although that’s the former’s advantage; iOS controls 54% of the market in both regions, while Android takes nearly 45%. Again, third-party operating system developers split the remaining 1%.
Source: StockApps
And you?
are you surprised?
What operating system is your smartphone running on?
Would you be tempted to use a different operating system? what conditions? Which ?
What do you think could explain Android’s loss of market share over the years?
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