Google, Apple, & Samsung are once again comScore winners, Microsoft & RIM not so much
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Among current smartphone users, Android gained another 3.1% market share during the last three months, growing to almost 47% of the installed user base. Apple grabbed an additional 1.4% market share, ending up at 28.7% of domestic smartphone users.
This growth mostly came at the expense of Research in Motion, whose BlackBerry phones now make up just 16.6% of the user base in the U.S. Microsoft also was down half a percent to 5.2%, although comScore does not break those down into WP7 and Windows Mobile numbers, so they aren’t as informative as they could be.
For individual OEMs, Samsung managed to slightly grow its lead, making 25.6% of all mobile phones (smartphones + feature phones) in the U.S. Apple managed to grow 1.4% to 11.2% of the market, which as ever is impressive since Apple only makes smartphones (and just a couple of models at that). LG, Motorola, and RIM all saw minor losses in market share.
These numbers are the first to include a substantial period of time that would include iPhone 4S sales, and it suggests that in the U.S. at least the iPhone 4S has not turned around the Android onslaught, despite setting several sales records along the way.
Detail-obsessed readers can scrutinize the charts below:
source: comScore via Tech Crunch
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36 Comments
1. Droid_X_Doug posted on 29 Dec 2011, 18:16 1 0
Why am I not surprised that RIM's sales are tanking? Uninspiring handsets, an O/S that is having problems with bricking handsets and the new and improved O/S and related handsets won't be available until probably 4Q2012 at the earliest all conspire to give consumers a reason to shop elsewhere.
2. gallitoking posted on 29 Dec 2011, 18:26 3 1
never in my chicken mind I would have thought that RIM would collapse so fast... still waiting for MS to rise...not!..
3. Droid_X_Doug posted on 29 Dec 2011, 18:44 2 0
Out of curiosity, why wouldn't you have thought RIM would fall so fast?
They have consistently been approximately 12 to 18 months behind both Apple and Android handsets in release cycle. There have been problems with each version of the O/S going back to v. 5.0 (they are now on v. 7). The handset specifications are obsolete before the handset even starts to ship. And, and, and. Even the U.S. govt. got fed up with the obsolescence and has been testing/certifying alternatives to RIM handsets.
No issues with your post, but I have been predicting RIM's sales declines since mid 2010 when I moved to the Droid X.
10. gallitoking posted on 29 Dec 2011, 21:23 3 1
all valid points... however BB fans were loyal... and jumped ship so fast... it caught me by surprise..
12. protozeloz posted on 29 Dec 2011, 21:36 1 0
To me it's rather slower I was expecting 10% already and there are tons of reasons why its dropping
-RIM waisted lots of precious time
- little efforts trying to gather devs and pump the store
- waist of valuable time
- concentrating resources on useless Android port apps
- no outstanding features that makes people want to switch
- believe the enterprise will remain loyal
- waisted time
- too many DOA products
Did I mentioned all the time waisted? I mean seriously their only hope could be BBX or whatever that's gonna get named and will arrive when everyone has their game geared up an extra lvl or two
35. roscuthiii posted on 30 Dec 2011, 18:48 0 0
I'd have to agree with gallito here. BB fans were as loyal as any other out there. There was a reason they were referred to as Crackberries.
( I dunno, maybe my reason differs from others' reason.)
5. godsarmylds posted on 29 Dec 2011, 19:43 1 0
I think Droid, gallitoking was more going along the lines. That RIM so big and had once a long time ago had a strong OS compared to the compitition at the time. It's kind of hard to believe that they would have fallen to fast as they did. But I do agree with you droid that as soon as I got my first android (mytouch) all those years ago I knew that Black berry was going down. Up against Apple and Android. It really didnt have a chance. But it has drop so fast. Mainly cause they didnt really change anything big for like 3 years or even 4 years. And always slow to release new devices that came compatable with the newest 3g or 4g services that came out. Same problem with Palm no innovation really. And I'm sorry. Apple is on the same track edging to their nearly 6th year of being relased and still very little big signs of innovation. I hope Android doesnt do the same thing. ICS is a very nice update to the phone OS. And I hear the Apple 5 will be different. So I'm excited fr 2012. Hope to see some great innovation and hopefully not so many court cases.
6. Droid_X_Doug posted on 29 Dec 2011, 19:56 1 0
Yeah, RIM does seem to be repeating the Palm experience. Nothing like arrogance to drive a company into the ground. It will be interesting to see how Android and iOS fare in 2012. I suspect they will both continue to push each other along, which at the end of the day is good for consumers of both brands. ICS is supposedly taking some cues from WP7/7.5, I wonder what iOS 5 looks like? ICS (laughing)?
7. ardent1 posted on 29 Dec 2011, 20:11 1 1
"And I'm sorry. Apple is on the same track edging to their nearly 6th year of being relased and still very little big signs of innovation"
Apple is a software company at heart, so the innovations will be software based, i.e. Siri in beta, using software to manage the dual antennae, using software for image stabilization for the camera/camcorder, etc. iOS 5.0 is the first software where the OS is updated based on deltas ... the list goes on. Again, as the hardware improves, it allows Apple to do more with its software.
Here are some more Apple innovations: (a) a two-year-old smartphone (3GS) that continues to outsell the leading or cutting edge android devices, (b) Apple to maintain its margins in a very competitive market for so many years, which is basically unheard off, (c) being awarded patents, which is a sore points for the android camp, etc.
It takes great software to make great handsets and the recent Samsung fiasco of how it couldn't update 10 million phones due to bad software only reinforces Apple's strengths of integrating software and hardware.
Judging Apple's products based on hardware and spec's is the main reason why android OEMs failed to duplicate the success of the 3GS.
8. willardcw4 posted on 29 Dec 2011, 20:39 2 1
Stop comparing 3 phones (3GS, 4, 4S) with dozens (android). It makes no sense. They are different platforms with different appealing features to various individuals, and although they are in direct competition, it's not an apples to apples comparison.
The most recent software innovations you speak of (including Siri beta) are not 'innovations'. They are modified or altered from other existing ideas / programs operating systems. Nothing is truly unique. The one thing they really are masters at is producing a really smooth and clean product, but the devices experience problems just like any other phone. Try writing an OS and updates for 25 phones with differing hardware and a fast release cycle.. it's tough. On top of that, different phone manufacturers have their own skins, even more of a programming nightmare, but it offers a unique experience that isn't shared by other products. Apple has a lot more time to develop software since they release products ~1 a year.
Oh ya, they are being awarded patents because they have really good lawyers who patent things that shouldn't be accepted as patents by the USPTO... not their fault, obviously, but just because they are filing a patent doesn't mean they created the system or technology (face unlock anyone..?!?!).
13. ardent1 posted on 29 Dec 2011, 21:40 3 2
> Stop comparing 3 phones (3GS, 4, 4S) with dozens (android).
Actually, it's one phone (i.e. the 3GS) compared to the "leading edge" or "cutting edge" android phones like I wrote originally. I can't make this point any clearer (or any more lucid) in regards to the never-ending and always-used argument that spec's help drive sales. Thanks.
> The most recent software innovations you speak of (including Siri beta) are not 'innovations'.
Then we have a difference of opinion. I believe bring Siri in beta form to the mass consumer market that totals in the tens of millions users is "innovation" and you are more than welcome to disagree.
> Try writing an OS and updates for 25 phones with differing hardware and a fast release cycle.. it's tough.
Google created this problem by itself. Look at MicroSoft, they have minimum hardware spec's and Google failed to heed MicroSoft's wisdom.
> On top of that, different phone manufacturers have their own skins, even more of a programming nightmare
That is the OWN manufacturer's choicing, thus causing the great fragmentation and user experience of android. Samsung has no problem selling 10 million units of one phone, but will not fix it's software so its 10 million users cannot obtain ICS. They created their own nightmare.
> just because they are filing a patent doesn't mean they created the system or technology
That is not correct. As you know, there is a patent examiner assigned to the patent application so there is some standard Apple must pass. Also, people tend to think there is only one face unlock invention -- I beg to differ as I understand patents can't be too broad.
18. ILikeBubbles posted on 29 Dec 2011, 22:43 1 0
as much as i'm fully on team android, i do have to agree that Ardent1 makes many good points and made them pretty objectivly..no one here can say that any iphone has been laggy or fc's. this is because of software.
and i'm sure there are MANY details and technicalidies that the general public doesn't know about that allows apple to patent things like face unlock or a touch integrated screen..
everyone knows pattents aren't based on who created the technology lol :p
24. taz89 posted on 30 Dec 2011, 07:19 1 0
I have made my ip4 lag but that could have been down to the jailbreak
25. taz89 posted on 30 Dec 2011, 07:29 1 0
agree with you on many points except. ..Samsung will update the 10 million non US variants to ics soon,US variants well blame the carriers if you don't get it.also Google wanted a "open source" os and if they dictated the hardware like Microsoft then it would not be "open" and most likely we would not have seen huge improvements in screen and CPU etc...that's what's great about android is that you can pick the hardware of YOUR choice to fit you and with everything there are going pro's and con's,Android has its and so does ios.
26. remixfa posted on 30 Dec 2011, 10:01 1 0
actually, just to point out..
how can google heed MS's wisdom when Android was launched YEARS before WP7? Windows 5xx and 6xx did not have this "wisdom" in them, as they were slapped on anything. That "wisdom" was a hard lesson learned for MS.
Google is taking steps to correct the issue with ICS, that is one of the main points of ICS is to get a little control over the situation. But google isnt MS or Apple, they are not going to come in and take over and start making demands. That goes against the very nature of the Android way of thinking. You can not be "open source" and "walled garden" at the same time.
MS may be publicly going after android in their comments, but their strategies and OS say they are going after Apple and are doing a lot to copy Apple's way of thinking but not so much that they become apple. They are trying to find that middle ground between apple's communism and googles anarchy. And they are failing. What does that tell us? We are all extremists!!!! :)
28. ardent1 posted on 30 Dec 2011, 13:37 1 1
"how can google heed MS's wisdom when Android was launched YEARS before WP7?"
To the RVI, MicroSoft had min specs on computers for its OS way, way, way before android.
34. remixfa posted on 30 Dec 2011, 14:57 1 1
I love how u try to insult me then make a rediculuous point. They are minimum RECOMMENDED specs. Not a hard line. You can/could install windows on any PC.
36. ardent1 posted on 31 Dec 2011, 13:29 0 0
> They are minimum RECOMMENDED specs.
And your computer may not run windows. They are still MINIMUM spec's. Running Windows 3.1 on a 386 SX was not FUN!
RVI, try the golden rule for a change -- don't insult people and maybe people won't throw insults back at you.
