subject: Android Is It The Most Renowned Next-generation Mobile Platform In Todays Market? [print this page] Over the last few years a debate has surfaced among the experts to identify the most renowned mobile platform. The two-horse race is a known trend in the world of Information Technology. Whether the world has debated over c# vs Java or Mac vs PC, today the battle is fought between two giants for the undisputed supremacy in the mobile market Apples iOS and Googles Android. So what do the experts say and who does the statistics favour to be the better of the two? It is perhaps hard to answer as none comes out to be the dominant in all areas related to the technology, the battle is still on. While Apple has always been identified as the trend setter and the innovator, the author through this article attempts to highlight the facts around the existing combat between iOS and Android in order understand whether Google Android can fight for the supremacy and has the ability to be a market leader in the future.
In a head-to-head comparison Apple has been a predominant leader until 2010. Post 2010, although Apple has shown a rise in sales with launch of its new version iOS 4.x, Google has successfully picked up the pace and outnumbered Apple in the race for total number of handset sold each year. The latest data suggests a shift in favour of Android with 56.1% share of world-wide smart phone sales to 22.9% that of Apple. The important point to be noted here is that the data only accounts for smart phones and is easier to understand when you consider that Google Android belongs to the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of several mobile manufacturing companies like HTC, Dell, LG, Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba, Kyocera etc. However If we consider other reports which include iOS and Android based tablets, the statistics swing back in favour of Apple. This is precisely due to the success and dominance Apple has enjoyed with the iPad in the tablet market. Android, who has however started the penetration over the past few years rapidly, is yet to give a fight to Apple in this segment.
Another key area that has and will impact the modern smart phones or tablets is the dominance in the App market. What does the App market statistics suggest? Apple might be the first one to reach the 10 billion download mark in the Apple App store in June 2010, however touching the same mark later that year Google has surpassed Apple in the stats books yet again. The 2011 second quarter report from ABI, suggests that Android has a 44 percent share worldwide compared to 31 percent of Apple in the mobile app download market. The gap is understood to have broadened since then especially if we go by some of the recent studies and researches in this area. For example according to a study by a renowned analytics firm Xyologic, by the end of 2011 Android accounts for majority of downloads in leading countries like UK, Russia, Germany, Spain, Brazil, Czech Republic, Portugal, Poland and is expected to hit the mark in the US by mid-2012.
The numbers are also neck-to-neck in the choice of preferred platform for app development in the world of developers. In the research on 2000 web developers done by Appcelerator, makers of cross-platform app development tool, iOS carry a narrow margin over Android as a most preferred choice of a mobile platform. In comparison to the other platforms like Blackberry, Windows Phone 7, webOS, Symbian etc, the two leaders enjoys a massive lead over the rest. However, one thing is clear that Android has grown rapidly in the last couple of years and has started to claim its dominance in certain areas. A couple of years ago, surveys from app developers had a totally different picture to read. We cannot clearly conclude that the fact Android is an open platform might have to do with the rising interest among developers for Android. Yes, it offers developers a wider freedom to play around and experiment which is not possible to that extent with iOS as the Apple OS is locked down. Still there are several factors behind such a rapid growth of Android compared to iOS, that can lead to another area of research altogether.
The statistics, however, always narrates half of the story. It is equally important to break out into the real world and rise above the numbers to realize the larger picture. We do not need any stats to understand that Apple has been renowned as the trend setter in the world of smart phones, especially and more significantly among the smartphone users of today. Under the inspiring leadership of Steve Jobs, Apple has always come up with the innovations which have proved to be the game changer. Whether we speak of amazing retina display, incredible icloud or the astounding voice control application Siri, Apple has been the undisputed brand of inspiration. Can anyone or more possibly Googles Android challenge Apples dominance in this key area? If yes, how soon can Android make such an impact? If going by the rumors, Google and alliance have already started to mark their move with the upcoming innovations in line.
So far Android has successfully enjoyed the benefits of offering wider choices to the users in terms of handset variety. Just for an example in US alone there are almost 80 different models for sale offering choices in screen-sizes, processor speeds and software versions. In comparison to Apple which has only 9 different iOS models in existence. However, Google thoroughly understands that to mark a true impression among users, along with the variety it has to come up with more innovative and trend setting software applications. Better graphics, better cameras, improved processors and maybe even a voice command feature similar to Siri are some agendas on Googles radar for near future. The Google I/O submit in 2011 clearly indicates with Googles plans in this direction. One of the most attractive topics in the conference was the launch of a new program called the Android@Home Project. This is a framework for Android to be installed into automated smart houses. The idea is to provide an automated platform where various Android powered gadgets will communicate with one another to make life easier for the people living inside such houses. Similarly, with the launch of Google music, Google is trying to create an iTunes like ecosystem for Android platform. Another noticeable example is Roewe 350, which is a chinese made worlds first car equipped with Google Android mobile operating system.
For the smart phone users we are yet unsure what Jelly Bean or Key Lime Pie, Androids next two rumored version names, might have exactly to offer, however the realities of imagination are boundless. With Google demanding more supremacy in the fight with Apple, it can definitely be seen as the most renowned next-generation mobile platform in todays market.
