Android has lost 8% of its global market share in the past five years
Back in the early days of the smartphone, there were so many different platforms to choose from. There was Android, iOS, BlackBerry OS, Windows Phone, and so on. These days, it has really boiled down to just two – Android and iOS, with Google’s Android platform pretty much dominating the smartphone market.
But it seems that no king rules forever because according to the latest data presented by StockApps, it appears that over a five year period, Android has actually lost 8% of its global OS market share. At its peak, Android commanded 77.32% of the market, but it has since dropped to 69.74% in January 2022.
In contrast, Apple’s iOS platform has seen an increase in market share, going from 19.4% in July 2018 to 25.49% in January 2022. That being said, Android’s dip in market share is something fans don’t need to worry about. For starters, the gap is still way too wide for Apple to catch up anytime soon, if at all.
Secondly, with Android being open source, it makes it easier for manufacturers to build smartphones, which in turn helps Android gain more dominance in the smartphone market. Also, according to StockApps analyst Edith Reads, unless Apple comes up with something extraordinary, it seems unlikely that the company will ever be able to close that gap.
The report also breaks down the popularity of the platforms based on region, where it was found that Android is the most dominant in Africa, while over in North America and Oceania, iOS actually commands the majority.
Source: MacRumors