According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global smartphone shipments reached 320 million units in the third quarter of 2014. The Android operating system captured a dominant 84 percent global marketshare, squeezing Apple iOS, Microsoft and BlackBerry.
Linda Sui, Director at Strategy Analytics, said, "Global smartphone shipments grew 27 percent annually from 252.9 million units in Q3 2013 to 320.4 million in Q3 2014. Smartphone growth continues to be driven by robust demand in emerging markets, particularly Asia and Africa Middle East."
Woody Oh, Director at Strategy Analytics, added, "Android's domination of global smartphone shipments remained strong in Q3 2014, with an impressive 84 percent of all smartphones now running Google's OS. Android's gain came at the expense of every major rival platform. BlackBerry's global smartphone share has stayed flat at 1 percent in the past year, due to a lackluster range of BB10 devices. Apple iOS lost one point of share to Android because of its limited presence at the lower end of the smartphone market. Microsoft Windows Phone continued to struggle in China and Japan, and its global smartphone marketshare fell from 4 percent in Q3 2013 to 3 percent during Q3 2014."
Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, added, "Android's leadership of the global smartphone market looks unbeatable at the moment. Its low-cost services and user-friendly software remain attractive to hardware makers, operators and consumers worldwide. However, challenges are emerging for Google. The Android platform is getting overcrowded with hundreds of hardware brands, Android smartphone prices are falling worldwide, and few Android device vendors make profits."
www.strategyanalytics.com
