According to IDC, a consumer research firm, a total of 793.6 million Android smartphones shipped last year. With global smartphone shipments ending up just north of 1 billion for the 2013 calendar year, IDC credits Android with a 78.6 percent market share. Apple’s iOS placed a distant but steady second, with a 15.6 percent market share. Last year was the first time global smartphone shipments exceeded a volume of 1 billion.
Gartner, another leading consumer research company, posted slightly different numbers. However, a clear pattern emerged among both market analyses: Android is far and away leading the pack, with iOS enjoying steady popularity with a strong consumer base.
IDC’s findings also noted the following trends:
- Android enjoyed a 9.6 percent market share gain over 2012
- iOS experienced a 3.5 percent year-over-year decline
- Windows Phone market share increased by almost 1 percent, from 2.4 percent to 3.3 percent
- Windows Phone shipments almost doubled in volume, from 17.5 million units in 2012 to a total of 33.4 million units in 2013
- BlackBerry’s decline continued, with a 2.6 percent market share reduction and a plunge in shipments approaching 50 percent
Worldwide, there was a 39.2 percent increase in the number of smartphones shipped globally. Only Windows Phone and Android outperformed that average growth rate. BlackBerry’s sharp decline continued, though it is important to note that the company is still the smartphone provider of choice to many government agencies and major companies for whom security is a primary concern.
So what does this mean for mobile app developers?
Industry insiders are predicting big things for 2014 and how these monumental shifts may effect mobile app development into the future. According to Gartner, Android alone will break the 1 billion units shipped barrier this year. With iOS holding strong and Windows Phone posting impressive growth numbers, Atlanta app developers have nothing but opportunity in the months and years ahead.