If this one fact hasn’t convinced you that we’ve officially entered the age of Android, perhaps nothing will.
According to Gartner, Google’s mobile operating system commands a staggering 36% global share among smartphone devices in , which is almost 4 times greater than Android’s market in 2010.
While Apple is weathering their onslaught from Android, Symbian’s lead has apparently been almost cut in half (which probably explains why Nokia abandoned Symbian in favor of Windows Phone 7).
Gartner unfortunately does not include tablets and mp3 players in the mix, which would make it easier to compare mobile operating systems (as iOS and Android have both expanded their reach to tablets and music players).
With Apple attempting to enter the prepaid market later on this fall, it will be interesting to see if Steve Jobs can thwart the rise of Android in the mobile arena.
Note: According to Gartner, Windows Phone 7 sold a modest 1.6 million smartphones, although truthfully that probably isn’t enough for Microsoft to threaten Android let alone iOS.
Chart Credit: Gartner
Originally posted on May 20, 2011 @ 1:53 pm