November 04, 2010
From checking your Facebook to downloading music to using your step-by-step navigation system, Smartphone’s are giving consumers a reason to upgrade from their standard flip phones to a more technologically savvy device. According to statistics on the overall U.S. market, the Android is the single fastest-growing mobile platform. Surprisingly, research shows that Apple’s iOS have started to decline. Other operating systems like the Blackberry and Windows Mobile show sharper declines over this past year. Regardless, the Blackberry is still the top mobile device according to the numbers, with roughly 30% of sales from the overall shared market.
In a recent study from the analysis giant Nielsen, 23% of the mobile phone community now own a Smartphone, an increase from the 16% of users shown from the 2009 study. Nielsen statistics also showed that Android was the preferred device for consumers wanting to buy a Smartphone. This suggests that the multi-million dollar marketing campaigns for the Droid are actually starting to pay off. According to statistics, Androids outsold iPhones for the first time during the first half of this year. This came as a surprise to consumers and researchers alike.
Despite this surprise, Nielsen numbers show that iOS devices are currently the leading Smartphone’s in the ongoing iPhone v.s Android battle. Android still only has 19% of the mobile phone market while Apple’s iOS Smartphone’s take the cake with 28%.
Age has proven to play an important role in deciding which Smartphone consumers are likely to buy. Individuals who are apart of the under-35 crowd seem to be more inclined to purchase an Android over the iPhone. The Blackberry research came as no surprise with the user age group extending to those 45 and over. As for the iPhone, those aged 44 and under seem to be the primary purchasers of this device.
With the results in, one can predict the popularity of Blackberry phones to drop far below iPhones in popularity within the next year. As for the continual fight for topping the sales, the Android and iPhone will be neck and neck. Nielsen stats show that between Q4 of 2009 and Q1 0f 2010, Android and iPhone’s share of the Smartphone market grew equally at 2% each.
What could potentially determine the result of sales could be a consumer’s loyalty to a specific operating system. Research shows that 80% of iPhone users want their next device to run on iOS, while only 70% of Android users would choose another Android phone. These numbers vary drastically from the other Smartphone brands such as Blackberry, where statistics show only 47% of consumers would want another Blackberry. As for those individuals who would want to switch operating systems, the percent of Android users who would like to try the iPhone is twice as high as that of iPhone users who would want try the Android.
The Android and iPhone are more alike than the rest of the phones competing in the market. Sales will increase for both phones, but it is hard to determine who will come out on top in the end.
Molly Vogel writes for Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers where you can find lawyers that have experience working on every type of personal injury.
