The Android smartphone OS, which is expected to become the most popular on the global market this year, will become even more dominant by 2015, according to new data from the International Data Corporation (IDC). Results of the IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker show that Android will capture 39.5% global market share this year, and grow about another 12% to 45.4% in 2015.
Windows Phone 7/Phone Mobile Poised for Jump
Another significant finding from the new IDC report is that Windows Phone 7/Phone Mobile smartphone OS, currently ranked fifth globally with a small 5.5% market share, will catapult to the number two spot by 2015. The Windows OS is expected to have grown 380% to take a 20.9% global market share four years from now.
Nokia Shift Dooms Symbian
In addition to dramatically improving Microsoft’s smartphone OS market share, Nokia’s recent decision to shift from Symbian to Windows Phone will virtually end Symbian’s presence in the global smartphone OS market. IDC expects Symbian’s share to fall more than 99%, from 20.9% to 0.2%.
Blackberry, iOS to Switch Places
Blackberry and iOS are both predicted to lose a small amount of market share, and fall from second and third place in 2011 to fifth and fourth place in 2015, respectively, as Windows Phone snares the second spot and iOS winds up with a slightly larger share than Blackberry.
Worldwide Smartphone Market to Grow Nearly 50% in 2011
IDC data shows the worldwide smartphone market will grow nearly 50% this year, from 303.4 million in 2010 to an estimated 450 million in 2011. Smartphones will grow at a pace about four times that of the overall mobile market, and their growth rate will taper off somewhat from 2010 but still be significantly higher than that in 2009. IDC attributes this substantial year-over-year growth to more consumers and enterprise users turning in their feature phones for smartphones with more advanced features.
Nielsen: Android Takes US Lead
When it comes to US consumer marketshare by operating system, Android (29%) appears to be pulling ahead of RIM Blackberry (27%) and Apple iOS (27%), according to Nielsen Company analysis of January 2011 data. But an analysis by manufacturer shows RIM and Apple to be the winners compared to other device makers, since they are the only ones creating and selling smartphones with their respective operating systems.
