iOS and Android popularity question

[strausd]

So everything I see online says Android is more popular than iPhone. But the problem is that those people are comparing Android, an OS, to the iPhone, hardware. I did a little searching but I did not find anything that actually compared like terms. Does anyone know which mobile OS as a whole is more popular? I am especially interested to see the popularity results when they include all smartphones, tablets, and everything in between (iPod touch). Thanks for your help!

 

[Ashwood11]

But the problem is that those people are comparing Android, an OS, to the iPhone, hardware.

Android is a fragmented OS each modified to run on the dozens of hardware handsets. The iPhone is hardware with it's own OS.

 

[strausd]

I am just trying to find some chart that shows popularity of each OS as a whole.

 

[twigman08]

Android is a fragmented OS each modified to run on the dozens of hardware handsets. The iPhone is hardware with it's own OS.

What he wants compared I think is the Android OS to iOS. Most articles compare the Android OS to the iPhone but leave out the iPod Touches (I went to visit my mom where she teaches the other day and I saw at least 40 kids in that school with an iPod Touch) and iPads. I never see it compared as a whole.

 

[strausd]

What he wants compared I think is the Android OS to iOS. Most articles compare the Android OS to the iPhone but leave out the iPod Touches (I went to visit my mom where she teaches the other day and I saw at least 40 kids in that school with an iPod Touch) and iPads. I never see it compared as a whole.

Yes that is exactly what I am looking for. All the charts favoring Android compare an operating system to a cell phone. How stupid are these people? If you want to make a proper comparison, compare a mobile OS to another mobile OS. Not software to hardware. If they want to compare something to the iPhone, then compare another phone by any manufacturer. But of course we all know who would win in that

And, not surprisingly, all the people saying android is more popular conveniently leave out the millions of iPod touches and iPads.

 

[kdarling]

Yes that is exactly what I am looking for. All the charts favoring Android compare an operating system to a cell phone.

Do you have any links? I don't recall charts such as you describe. The charts I've seen either compare phone sales, tablet sales, or total OS market share... but never mixed together.

For example, Comscore's charts show that currently, about 47% of US smartphone owners use Android, 30% use iOS:



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Comparing OSes worldwide, at the beginning of 2012 there had been 316 million iOS devices sold since 2007. At the same time, Google announced 300 million Android activations since 2008. (That does NOT include the millions of Nooks and other non-Google-app licensed devices in the world.)

At the current rate of Android activations (850K a day) and iOS activations (guessed by analysts at 350K-500K a day), Android's official count should pass iOS pretty soon.

Totals starting a half decade ago don't mean much right now, though. After all, Palm total sales over years were higher than iPhone sales for a long time. To developers, I'd say what counts is how many are currently being used.

To a user, what should count is if a device fits your needs and desires.

 

[takeshi74]

Do you have any links?

Definitely give us some citations, OP. It sounds like you're interpreting things the way you want to interpret them. I have yet to see any numbers that compare all Android devices to the iPhone. It's usually Android smartphone numbers that are compared to the iPhone's numbers.

How stupid are these people?

It's not a matter of stupid versus smart. If you're comparing smartphone OS's then the iPod Touch and the iPad are irrelevant. It's all dependent on the context. What you're specifically looking to compare matters. In your case you're looking to compare the OS's. In your case, looking at smartphone numbers won't help you.

If you want to make a proper comparison, compare a mobile OS to another mobile OS.

Again, context matters. If people are analyzing smartphones then media players and tablets are irrelevant. Be careful tossing the stupid label around so freely. Don't assume that the comparison that you want to make is the same as the comparisons that others are making. Again, give us some links rather than your aggregated take on them.

 

[kevinof]

Well if that's the case then the android numbers should include every printer, gps system etc etc that uses Android as its OS. Remember that IOS is only on a couple of Apple products. Android is used more and more in lots of non-phone products.

Yes that is exactly what I am looking for. All the charts favoring Android compare an operating system to a cell phone. How stupid are these people? If you want to make a proper comparison, compare a mobile OS to another mobile OS. Not software to hardware. If they want to compare something to the iPhone, then compare another phone by any manufacturer. But of course we all know who would win in that

And, not surprisingly, all the people saying android is more popular conveniently leave out the millions of iPod touches and iPads.

 

[Daveoc64]

Well if that's the case then the android numbers should include every printer, gps system etc etc that uses Android as its OS. Remember that IOS is only on a couple of Apple products. Android is used more and more in lots of non-phone products.

I've never seen a printer that uses Android, and most GPS devices wouldn't use it - it's really just overkill.

 

[strausd]

Let me first say I am just asking for curiosity.

Do you have any links? I don't recall charts such as you describe.

These are only a few:

http://thenextweb.com/mobile/2011/0...lar-than-ios-in-the-us-according-to-comscore/
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/android-iphone-wp7-blackberry-symbian,news-9932.html
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-57324963-17/android-smartphone-share-more-than-triples-ios-in-q3/
http://www.diettalk.com/forums/show...-Popular-Than-iOS-Among-New-Smartphone-Buyers
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/why-ios-will-never-beat-android-diversity/17823
http://www.chiphazard.com/2012/02/0...ne-in-the-eyes-of-smartphone-buyers-research/

BUT, heres the thing, all I did was google "is iOS more popular than Android" and not a single one actually pertains to that. Every single one is comparing just phones, yet the title says "iOS." I guess people don't understand that iOS is not just on the iPhone.

Those are only a few examples out of multiple. Not a single one actually compares OS to OS. But I want to see the numbers when you include the millions of iPads and iPod touches.

For example, Comscore's charts show that currently, about 47% of US smartphone owners use Android, 30% use iOS:

View attachment 336148

Again smartphone, not at all what I am looking for. I just linked a million of those.

---

Comparing OSes worldwide, at the beginning of 2012 there had been 316 million iOS devices sold since 2007. At the same time, Google announced 300 million Android activations since 2008. (That does NOT include the millions of Nooks and other non-Google-app licensed devices in the world.)

At the current rate of Android activations (850K a day) and iOS activations (guessed by analysts at 350K-500K a day), Android's official count should pass iOS pretty soon.

Guess it only took 6 comments to finally have something relevant to my original post. But I am looking for more detail than that if more detail exists.

To a user, what should count is if a device fits your needs and desires.

Again, just asking for curiosity reasons.

Definitely give us some citations, OP. It sounds like you're interpreting things the way you want to interpret them.

Uhm, no. Read above.

I have yet to see any numbers that compare all Android devices to the iPhone.

Neither have I. Never said I did. Maybe I should have been more clear in my original post to avoid this misunderstanding.

It's not a matter of stupid versus smart. If you're comparing smartphone OS's then the iPod Touch and the iPad are irrelevant. It's all dependent on the context. What you're specifically looking to compare matters. In your case you're looking to compare the OS's. In your case, looking at smartphone numbers won't help you.

I don't think you read my original post. I want to see mobile OSes compared. You seriously misunderstood everything I have said so far. My whole point is that I don't want to see comparisons of just smartphone OSes, how are you not getting that?

Again, context matters.

Yes, context does matter. Maybe you should have understood what I was saying before posting.

If people are analyzing smartphones then media players and tablets are irrelevant.

You are so off the mark it is almost funny. My whole point is that I don't want to see smarphones, I want mobile OSes as a whole. How are you not getting that?

Be careful tossing the stupid label around so freely. Don't assume that the comparison that you want to make is the same as the comparisons that others are making. Again, give us some links rather than your aggregated take on them.

Holy crap. Wow.

Well if that's the case then the android numbers should include every printer, gps system etc etc that uses Android as its OS. Remember that IOS is only on a couple of Apple products. Android is used more and more in lots of non-phone products.

Never seen Android on anything but a smartphone or tablet. So can you link to something showing popularity of Android in smartphones and tablets combined?

I've never seen a printer that uses Android, and most GPS devices wouldn't use it - it's really just overkill.

Agreed.

 

[Lunfai]

I know it might not be what you're looking for but I found this article:

http://techcrunch.com/2012/01/02/ios-closes-out-the-year-with-52-mobile-web-market-share/

It basically is a chart of what devices are used whilst browsing on a mobile device. (iPad and iPod is combined). I know it's not an accurate drawing for the whole market share, but it's something.

 

[kdarling]

Let me first say I am just asking for curiosity.

Cool. Curiosity killed the cat, satisfaction brought it back.

BUT, heres the thing, all I did was google "is iOS more popular than Android" and not a single one actually pertains to that.

Then you're obviously not Googling the right things. Try searches like: "total android activations vs ios sales", and/or tell Google to leave out results with the word smartphone: "android ios market share -smartphone". Also, break it down and just search for iOS or Android sales by themselves.

Guess it only took 6 comments to finally have something relevant to my original post. But I am looking for more detail than that if more detail exists.

First, you wanted generalized OS popularity, now you want details? Then you'll have to be much clearer as to what you want to know. Ask the right questions; get the right answers.

Overall:

• Android devices are outselling iOS devices by about 2:1.

Going deeper:

• Android phones are used by more people than iOS phones are.
• IOS tablets currently outsell Android tablets, but that's expected to flip by 2015.
• IOS PMPs (aka iPod touch) are more popular than Android PMPs.
• IOS devices dominate web browsing stats.

For iOS, up to beginning 2012:

• 180 million iPhones
• 80 million iPod touches
• 55 million iPads

Of side interest:

• There are 55 OEMs of official Android devices.
• 2/3 of Android phones sold have 4"+ screens.
• 3/4 of Android tablets sold have 7" screens.
• iPad owners do ~twice the amount of web browsing as iPhone owners.

 

[MistahMumford]

I would think Android would easily be more popular because there are 40 billion device manufacturers that use the OS on their devices.