Android rules smartphone market with 68% share in Q2 FY12

Telecom Lead India: Android accumulated 68.1 percent
market share with 104.8 million smartphones shipped during the second quarter
of 2012, according to IDC.

The report revealed that Android and iOS powered 85
percent of all smartphones shipped in the quarter. However, market shares of
BlackBerry and Symbian plunged down below five percent at 4.8 percent and 4.4
percent respectively.


The study said that Android’s success can be attributed
to Samsung, which accounted for 44 percent of all Android smartphones shipped
in 2Q12.


Samsung’s shipped smartphone units totaled more than the
next seven Android vendors’ volumes combined.


On the other hand, iOS posted double-digit growth at
16.9 percent market share with 26 million units shipped during the quarter.


The study suggested that demand for Apple’s smartphone
has cooled off due to release of iPhone 5 launch, which is scheduled to come in
October.


BlackBerry has lost significant share to other operating
systems in the consumer and enterprise segments. BlackBerry shipped 7.4 million
smartphones during the quarter.


The study said that BlackBerry will remain vulnerable to
the competition, as its BlackBerry 10 smartphones has been delayed till 2013.


Symbian registered 62.9 percent year-over-year drop, with
6.8 million units shipped. The sales were impacted by Nokia’s decision to make
Windows Phone its primary smartphone OS.


The study said that the decline has accelerated due to
lower sales in key economically developing geographies such as China as well as
Central & Eastern Europe and the Middle East and Africa.


Windows Mobile’s market share stood at 3.5 percent with
5.4 million units shipped, largely supported by 4 million Lumia unit sales.


The study notes that Windows Phone is still a distant
competitor to Android and iOS and Microsoft will need to generate additional
momentum from Windows Phone 8 devices.


Linux, a category largely comprised of Samsung’s
Bada shipments, declined on a year-over year basis as Samsung’s smartphone
sales are increasingly Android centric. Linux’s market share recorded at 2.3
percent with 3.5 million units shipped.


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