X
Tech

Android shipments jump 886% in Q2

As smartphone shipments continue to climb, Google's Android operating system is gaining "impressive momentum" in markets around the world, according to new research by Canalys.
Written by Vivian Yeo, Contributor

As smartphone shipments continue to climb, Google's Android operating system is gaining "impressive momentum" in markets around the world, according to new research by Canalys.

Released Monday, the report indicated that the worldwide smartphone market grew 64 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2010. During the same period, devices powered by the Android platform recorded a hefty 886 per cent jump in unit shipments.

Chris Jones, vice president and principal analyst at Canalys, noted that devices such as the Motorola Droid and HTC's Droid Incredible have been well received in the US market, with consumers "eager to download and engage with mobile applications and services such as internet browsing, social networking, games and navigation".

In the second quarter, Android-based devices in the United States grew 851 per cent over the same period last year, making it the largest smartphone platform in the country. Overall, smartphone shipments in the US also totalled 14.7 million units during the quarter, a 41 per cent year-on-year jump. The country is the world's largest smartphone market, accounting for 23 per cent of global shipments, according to Canalys numbers.

The reception toward Android has been "similarly optimistic" in the Asia-Pacific region, added T.Y. Lau, senior analyst at Canalys. Android devices, she said, are gaining good traction in markets, such as China and South Korea, as an increasing number of consumers clamour for more sophisticated smartphones.

Nokia still king

In terms of smartphone handset makers, Nokia led the global market with a 38 per cent global share in second-quarter 2010, according to Canalys. The Finnish phone manufacturer shipped 23.8 million smartphones during the quarter, an increase of 41 per cent over 2009.

Worldwide, Research In Motion took second position and grew its shipments by 41 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter. The BlackBerry maker, which is the leading vendor in the US where it accounted for 32.1 per cent of shipments, had an 18 per cent share of the global market.

Apple, with a worldwide share of 13 per cent in the second quarter, saw its year-on-year shipment grow by 61 per cent, helped in part by the release of iPhone 4, Canalys said.

The research firm added that it expects smartphones to account for over 27 per cent of global mobile shipments by 2013, with Western Europe and North America accounting for over 60 per cent and 48 per cent, respectively.

Via ZDNet Asia

Editorial standards