In brief
Android reached 87.5% global market share in Q3 2016, while iOS fell to 12.1%. Android's low-cost services and user-friendly software helped sustain its lead, but few manufacturers profited, and Google's Pixel brought direct competition with its hardware partners.
When asked about smartphones, most people might say iPhone, but when it comes to market share, the leader is Android. According to the latest report from research firm Strategy Analytics, Android's market share has reached a record high, surpassing 87.5%.
The figures were compiled for the third quarter of this year. Android's global market share reached 87.5%. In other words, nine out of every ten people have an Android phone. Rival iOS, meanwhile, saw its usage share decline steadily over the past three months, matching the continued decline in iPhone sales reported in Apple's financial results.
According to Strategy Analytics, Android phone shipments totalled 328 million units this quarter, up 10.3% from the same period last year, while Apple shipped 45.5 million units. iOS's global market share fell to just 12.1% this quarter, down 1.5% from the same period last year.
Analysts at Strategy Analytics said Android's leading position in the global smartphone market currently appears unshakable. Its low-cost services and user-friendly system software are highly attractive to hardware manufacturers and consumers worldwide.
However, Android is not without its drawbacks. More than a hundred phone manufacturers currently choose Android for their devices, yet very few actually make a profit from it. Google's launch of its own Pixel phone also puts it in direct competition with its hardware partners. Although Android currently holds a substantial lead, the situation could still change in the future.
http://www.bnext.com.tw/article/41680/2016-q3-android-worldwide-share