Google's Android Os Predicted To Rule Smartphone Market

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Google's Android OS predicted to rule smartphone market

Berlin - Almost half of all smartphones worldwide will use Google's Android operating system by the end of 2012, forecasts technology research company Gartner.

Already this year, Android should hit a market share of 38.5 per cent, making it the most popular operating system, according to Gartner.

Gartner forecasts that smartphones, which offer more computing power than standard phones, will already claim a 26-per-cent market share this year, growing to almost half the market (47 per cent) by 2015.

And, since the various manufacturers of Android devices will be fighting for market share, customers will probably benefit from falling prices, says Gartner analyst Roberta Coza.

"Android's position in the high end market will stay strong, but the long-term growth possibilities will be in the lower to middle price segments."

Apple's operating system, iOS, which this year beat Nokia's Symbian system by garnering 19.4 per cent market share to Nokia's 19.2 per cent to claim the market leader position, will be able to hold on to second place behind Android until 2014, forecast analysts.

After that, its market share will slip, since Apple is more interested in keeping high margins than in having a big share of the market. That will means its business will be limited in developing economies like India or Africa.

But in 2015, Microsoft could very well beat the maker of the iPhone with its new Windows Phone 7 system. Gartner forecasts a market share of 19.5 per cent for Microsoft versus 17.2 per cent for Apple.

Gartner suggests that success might stem from Microsoft's alliance with Nokia, which hopes to push Windows Phones in middle-price-segment markets.

Before that deal, Gartner had expected Microsoft to experience another drastic loss in market share. Now IDC says Microsoft's market share in 2015 could touch 20.9 per cent.

But its numbers are still not expected to reach the highs that Symbian once enjoyed. That platform, which Nokia now hopes to operate in a partnership with Microsoft, will probably not play a role in 2015, according to Gartner estimates.

Experts forecast that the operating system, which has a 19.2 per cent market share today, will see that dwindle down to just 0.1 per cent by 2015.//DPA

-- The Nation 2011-04-17