Is Google Android Set To Overtake Apple Iphone?

While Apple's iPhone and its proprietary iPhone operating system continues to lead in market share

, Google's approach is proving to gain them ground at breakneck speed with its open source Android OS, according to reports this month from AdMob and ComScore. The smartphone wars are heating up, raising interesting questions about the future of the industry.

According to ComScore's recent report, 45.4 million people in the United States were using iPhones in the 3 month period ending February 2010. This is a 21% increase from the period ending November 2009. Within this fast growing smartphone market, RIM maintains a commanding lead with over 42% share. The interesting development however, is that the use of smartphones using Google's Android OS have grown by 5.2% in the period ending February 2010, while Microsoft, Apple and Palm OS lost ground. Microsoft lost 4% to Google while Apple and Palm lost 0.01% and 1.8% respectively.

One factor when considering Google Android's fast paced adoption is that Google has not restricted itself to a single smartphone device. Android ships with 34 different devices from 12 manufacturers, while Apple just has the iPhone series. It makes sense that an open source smartphone OS being shipped on so many devices would eventually overtake its proprietary counterparts. Also, because Android is open source, the number of applications being developed for it is taking place at break neck speed with 50,000 in under 2 years and counting. The open source approach enables more inclusiveness as far as application development goes, unlike iPhone and Microsoft"s requirement for a developer to purchase a license to create apps for their mobile operating systems. All third party applications for the iPhone can only be downloaded and installed via Apple's online iStore. The open source alternative is not as strictly centralised and therefore offers more choice to users.

So what does a big mobile phone market player do when faced with potential domination by an open source competitor? They sue for breaching patents that's what. Apple has already gone after Google's partner on the Nexus One smartphone, HTC for breach of patents held by Apple. Sources within Microsoft have also now made gestures that Android breaches some of their patents. With a market as large as mobile phones, it may be that the winner will be decided in a court room. In any case, these developments show evidence that Apple and Microsoft feel threatened by Google's impact on the mobile market.

AWD Stays on top of emerging trends in the IT industry. Tha's why you can rely on us to help you with your business IT infrastructure. AWD's technical support staff are available to assist with security as well as general configuration of your company mobile phones to ensure the best business outcomes.

by: David Lopez

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