IDC: Android and iOS accounted for 95.7% of global smartphone shipments in Q4 2013, and 93.8% for the year

Android and iOS accounted for 95.7 percent of all smartphone shipments in Q4 2013, and for 93.8 percent of all smartphone shipments for the whole year. That means the duopoly grew 4.5 percentage points quarter-over-quarter (91.2 percent in Q4 2012) and 6.1 percentage points year-over-year (87.7 percent in 2012).

The latest figures come from IDC, which has previously noted that global smartphone shipments hit 1 billion for the first time in 2013. Here is how that number broke down by operating system:

Google’s mobile operating system remained the clear leader in 2013, with Samsung leading all Android vendors by commanding a 39.5 percent share of shipments. In 2014, assuming Lenovo’s bid to acquire Motorola Mobility is completed, the new company will leap ahead of Huawei, which was the second biggest Android vendor in 2013.

Apple’s mobile operating system meanwhile posted the lowest positive growth for both the quarter (6.7 percent) and for the year (12.9 percent), underperforming the overall market in both cases. The lack of a low-cost iPhone as well as no large-screen option in 2013 has hurt iOS’ market share prospects, although rumors point to the latter changing this year.

The remaining percentage points were left to Microsoft and BlackBerry. Windows Phone posted the largest increase for both the quarter (46.7 percent) and the year (90.9 percent), largely thanks to Nokia. BlackBerry’s operating system meanwhile was the only one to realize negative year-over-year change both for the quarter (-77.0 percent) and for the year (-40.9 percent).

IDC notes that while smartphone market growth remained strong in 2013, the era of double-digit annual growth has only a few years remaining. The question is, how long will the Android and iOS duopoly last?

See also – Duopoly: 98% of Q4 smartphone shipments in China were powered by Android or iOS, at 86% and 12% respectively and Breaking the iOS and Android duopoly: Telefónica’s Jacques Chicourel on the future of Firefox OS

Top Image Credit: Jung Yeon-Je/Getty Images