Software News Uganda

Cheap smartphones boost Android platform

WASHINGTON, USA: A rise in low-cost smartphone sales, notably in emerging markets, helped Google's Android platform extend its dominance in the mobile market in the second quarter according to a survey released this week.
IDC's Research Manager Ramon Llamas says that cheap smartphones powered by Android dominated mobile phone sales in the second quarter of this year. Image:
IDC's Research Manager Ramon Llamas says that cheap smartphones powered by Android dominated mobile phone sales in the second quarter of this year. Image: World News

The report by market-tracker IDC said Android phone sales were up 33% over the past year with 255m units being sold, accounting for 84.7% of all global smartphone sales in the March to June period.

The overall market grew 25% to 301m units, IDC said, adding that Apple, Microsoft Windows and BlackBerry had failed to keep pace with Android devices.

"With many of its (manufacturing) partners focusing on the sub-$200 segments, Android has been reaping huge gains within emerging markets," says Ramon Llamas, Research Manager for IDC.

"During the second quarter, 58.6% of all Android smartphone sold worldwide cost less than $200 off contract, making them very attractive compared with other devices," he said.

Sales of the Apple iPhone rose to 35.2m units in the quarter, but with growth slower than Android, Apple's market share fell from 13% last year to 11.7% in the March to June quarter.

Windows Phone sales meanwhile slipped more than nine percent from a year ago to 7.4m units, while its market share dropped to 2.5%.

BlackBerry's woes deepened despite modest gains from the first quarter of 2014. On a year-on-year basis, sales fell 78% and its market share dropped to 0.5%.

The figures were largely in line with a similar survey last month from Strategy Analytics.

Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge

Source: I-Net Bridge

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