Report: Apple, Android Now 96 Percent Of Smartphones Globally

Android has most of the devices, while Apple generates most of the profits. Together they control the global smartphone market.

According to analyst firm and hardware tracker IDC, smartphones running Android and iOS accounted for just over 96 percent of smartphone shipments in Q4. However, of that, Android had an overall market share (shipments) of nearly 82 percent globally.

By comparison Apple, which saw share gains in key markets in Q4, had a 2014 market share of roughly 15 percent. Windows Phone shipments grew but Microsoft’s smartphone market share shrank. According to IDC most of the company’s success is at the “entry level” end of the market.

Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, February 24, 2015

Samsung remained the dominant Android handset maker but its share and shipments were flat according to IDC. Despite Samsung’s device dominance Apple earns the majority of smartphone device profits globally.

According to StatCounter US mobile traffic breaks down as follows:

• iOS — 57 percent
• Android — 38 percent
• Windows — 1.2 percent
• Others — 3.8 percent

And here’s global mobile traffic by operating system:

• Android — 54 percent
• iOS — 30 percent
• Windows — 1.9 percent
• Others — 14.1 percent