Global smartphone shipments reached 251.4 million units in Q3 2013, up 45 percent from 172.8 million units in Q3 2012. Breaking those numbers down, Google’s Android secured a whopping 81.3 percent global share, Apple’s iOS fell to 13.4 percent, and Windows Phone took third with 4.1 percent.
The majority of growth came from robust demand for Android and Windows Phone models in developed and developing markets, notably Europe and Asia. Here’s the full breakdown for annual growth:
The latest figures are from Strategy Analytics, which noted Google’s Android hit a new high mainly at the expense of BlackBerry and iOS. Microsoft’s Windows Phone managed to double its share, letting it grab the title of “the world’s fastest growing major smartphone platform.”
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Android’s worldwide domination in smartphone shipments has hit a new peak in that four out of every five devices run Google’s operating system. BlackBerry lost the most as a result, as its global smartphone share dipped from 4 percent to 1 percent in the past year. Apple also lost some ground to Android, which Strategy Analytics says is due to “limited presence at the lower end of the smartphone market.”
On the other hand, the analytics firm noted Android will have a difficult time taking further shipments from Apple in the near-term. This is because the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c have just been announced, and the former is proving popular enough that expectations are high for Apple regaining volumes worldwide in the fourth quarter of 2013.
During Q3 2013, Microsoft shipped more than 10 million smartphones worldwide in a single quarter for the first time ever (up 178 percent year-over-year). This allowed it to double its global smartphone share from 2 percent to 4 percent in the past year.
Microsoft’s growth is almost entirely due to Nokia, a division of which it is acquiring next year, and its Lumia portfolio across Europe, Asia, and the US. Nevertheless, Strategy Analytics notes Microsoft is still at a low level of share worldwide and is struggling to gain serious traction in several major markets like Japan, South Korea, and Africa.
The fourth quarter of 2013 will likely be one of the most interesting ones to watch yet. Will Google and Microsoft be able to keep growing their respective shares despite Apple’s new devices?
Top Image Credit: Toshifumi Kitamura/Getty Images
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