08 October 2009

Android To Grab 2nd Spot By 2012
Symbian To Keep Its Leading Position!

According to the market research and advisory company Gartner Inc., Android will account for 14 percent of the global smartphone market by 2012, ahead of the iPhone, as well as Windows Mobile or BlackBerry devices but still far behind the Symbian which will keep its leading status although market share will fall to 39 percent.

The Gartner forecast gives Android such an enormous surge in popularity because of a variety of factors, but chiefly because of Google Inc.'s backing of Android and the range of cloud computing functions and related applications that Google will make available in coming years, Gartner’s analyst Ken Dulaney said in an exclusive interview with Computerworld.

The complete Gartner forecast for smartphone OSes by the end of 2012 puts Symbian on top with 203 million devices sold, and 39% of the market. Android will be second with nearly 76 million units sold, and 14.5% of the market.

Coming in a close third, the iPhone will ship on 71.5 million devices in 2012, giving a 13.7% market share while the Windows Mobile will finish fourth, with 66.8 million units sold, or 12.8% of the market. Right behind Windows Mobile, the BlackBerry OS will sell on 65.25 million devices in 2012, making it fifth with 12.5% market share.

Various Linux based devices inclouding Nokia's smartphones based on teh Maemo platform will sell 28 million units, at 5.4% market share, in sixth place while the Palm's webOS will sell just 11 million units and take 2.1% of the market, in seventh place, Gartner says.

• Symbian: 203 million handsets, 39 percent of the market;
• Google Android: 76 million handsets, 14.5 percent of the market;
• Apple iPhone OS: 71.5 million handsets, 13.7 percent of the market;
• Windows Mobile : 66.8 million handsets, 12.8 percent of the market;
• RIM BlackBerry OS: 65.25 million handsets, 12.5 percent of the market;
• Linux variants: 28 million handsets, 5.4 percent of the market;
• Palm webOS: 11 million handsets, 2.1 percent of the market.