Android-powered smartphones continue to extend their lead over Apple's iPhones in the world smartphone market, and accounted for 68 per cent of all smartphones shipped in the second quarter of 2012, according to figures released Wednesday by IDC.
The market research firm said that eight vendors sold a total of
104.8 million handsets running on Google's Android operating system,
with Samsung accounting for 44 per cent of the total, or 46 million
handsets.
Apple's market share was 16.9 per cent, or 26 million units,
representing a drop from the 18.8-per-cent market share it enjoyed in
the year ago quarter. Blackberry saw its market share drop from 11.5
per cent to 7.4 per cent but Windows phones grew from 2.3 per cent to
5.4 per cent.
"Android continues to fire on all cylinders," said Ramon Llamas,
senior research analyst with IDC's Mobile Phone Technology and Trends
program.
"The market was entreated to several flagship models from
Android's handset partners, prices were well within reach to meet
multiple budgetary needs, and the user experience from both Google
and its handset partners boosted Android smartphones' utility far
beyond simple telephony," Llamas said.
The new figures came as Apple and Samsung are embroiled in a
bitter patent battle in courts around the world, with Apple claiming
that the largest vendor of Android phones has "slavishly copied" its
iPhone designs.
