Despite beating Wall Street expectations in terms of shipment volumes, Apple’s share in the worldwide smartphone operating system market posted a year-over-year decline during the second quarter of 2013 (2Q13), says research firm International Data Corporation (IDC).
According to IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, vendors shipped a total of 236.4 million smartphones in 2Q13, up 51.3% from the 156.2 million units shipped in 2Q12. Second quarter shipments grew 9.3% when compared to the 216.3 million units shipped in 1Q13.
“The iOS decline in the second quarter aligns with the cyclicality of iPhone,” says Ramon Llamas, Research Manager with IDC’s Mobile Phone team. “Without a new product launch since the debut of the iPhone 5 nearly a year ago, Apple’s market share was vulnerable to product launches from the competition. But with a new iPhone and revamped iOS coming out later this year, Apple is well-positioned to re-capture market share.”
Top Smartphone Operating Systems, Shipments, and Market Share, 2013 Q3 (Units in Millions)
Operating System | 2Q13 Unit Shipments | 2Q13 Market Share | 2Q12 Unit Shipments | 2Q12 Market Share | Year-over-Year Change |
Android | 187.4 | 79.3% | 108 | 69.1% | 73.5% |
iOS | 31.2 | 13.2% | 26 | 16.6% | 20.0% |
Windows Phone | 8.7 | 3.7% | 4.9 | 3.1% | 77.6% |
BlackBerry OS | 6.8 | 2.9% | 7.7 | 4.9% | -11.7% |
Linux | 1.8 | 0.8% | 2.8 | 1.8% | -35.7% |
Symbian | 0.5 | 0.2% | 6.5 | 4.2% | -92.3% |
Others | N/A | 0.0% | 0.3 | 0.2% | -100.0% |
Total | 236.4 | 100.0% | 156.2 | 100.0% | 51.3%
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Android maintained its leadership position, with strong contributions from Samsung and its Galaxy S4. Not to be overlooked were LG and Chinese vendors Huawei, Lenovo, and ZTE, which each recorded double-digit shipment volumes in the millions. Combined, these vendors accounted for 62.5% of all Android-powered smartphone shipments during the quarter. Still, the remaining vendors within the Android ecosystem should not be overlooked, as many have developed a strong local presence within key developing markets.
Top Android Smartphone Vendors, Shipments, and Market Share, 2013 Q3 (Units in Millions)
Vendor | 2Q13 Unit Shipments | 2Q13 Market Share | 2Q12 Unit Shipments | 2Q12 Market Share | Year-over-Year Change |
Samsung | 73.3 | 39.1% | 48 | 44.4% | 52.7% |
LG | 12.1 | 6.5% | 5.8 | 5.4% | 108.6% |
Lenovo | 11.4 | 6.1% | 4.9 | 4.5% | 132.7% |
Huawei | 10.2 | 5.4% | 6.5 | 6.0% | 56.9% |
ZTE | 10.2 | 5.4% | 6.4 | 5.9% | 59.4% |
Others | 70.2 | 37.5% | 36.4 | 33.7% | 92.9% |
Total | 187.4 | 100.0% | 108.0 | 100.0% | 73.5%
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iOS finished the quarter as the clear number 2 operating system, showing that, even without new product launches, demand remains strong. Analysts are eager to see how the new iOS 7 will be received once it reaches the market later this year, as much of the look and feel of the user interface has been revamped.
Windows Phone posted the largest year-over-year increase among the top five smartphone platforms, and in the process reinforced its position as the number 3 smartphone operating system. Driving this result was Nokia, which released two new smartphones and grew its presence at multiple mobile operators. Consequently, Nokia accounted for 81.6% of all Windows Phone smartphone shipments during 2Q13.
BlackBerry saw its market share decline during the quarter. However, BlackBerry has shown steady progress since the launch of its BB 10 platform, which has grown to three models, additional mobile operators, and a greater presence within its total volumes.
Top Windows Phone Smartphone Vendors, Shipments, and Market Share, 2013 Q3 (Units in Millions)
Vendor | 2Q13 Unit Shipments | 2Q13 Market Share | 2Q12 Unit Shipments | 2Q13 Market Share | Year-over-Year Change |
Nokia | 7.1 | 81.6% | 4.1 | 83.7% | 73.2% |
Samsung | 1.0 | 11.5% | 0.3 | 6.1% | 233.3% |
HTC | 0.4 | 4.6% | 0.4 | 8.2% | 0.0% |
Huawei | 0.2 | 2.3% | 0.0 | 0.0% | N/A |
Others | 0.0 | 0.0% | 0.1 | 2.0% | -100.0% |
Total | 8.7 | 100.0% | 4.9 | 100.0% | 77.6%
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