Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus was its most successful launch on record. However, figures from Gartner suggest that in the July-September 2014 time period, Android devices sold more than six times as much worldwide.
Picture: JD Hancock
These are the worldwide smartphone sales figures for that quarter by operating system, per Gartner:
| OS | Unit sales Q314 | Market share Q314 |
|---|---|---|
| Android | 250060200 | 83.1% |
| iOS | 38186600 | 12.7% |
| Windows | 9033400 | 3.0% |
| Blackberry | 2419500 | 0.8% |
| Other | 1310200 | 0.4% |
| Total | 301009900 | 100.0% |
Given that the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus only appeared at the end of the quarter and supplies were short, Gartner is predicting higher sales in Q4. During the quarter, Apple was the second-biggest smartphone vendor overall, behind Samsung.
For developers building smartphone apps, what does that mean? Ideally, if you have the resources, develop for both platforms — there is still a large Apple base, and plenty of evidence to suggest Apple owners are more likely to spend on apps. But ignoring Android doesn’t make any sense, even if it poses its own development challenges.
Comments
7 responses to “Despite iPhone 6 Success, It’s Still An Android World”
Apple, Microsoft and Blackberry are sole producers of their respective phones and OSes. The question is whether Apple should licence it’s OS and risk it appearing on an underwhelming phone, like so many Android implementations, or keep it a premium expereince.
When you have many different manufacturers flood the market with cheap phones then of course it’s an Anroid world. I would like to see a comparison between the flagship phones though (Galaxy s5 v iPhone 6).
Anyhow, as I’ve always said.. Android is for poor/stupid people.
I was once an Apple device user: iPhone, iPad and MacBook Air. Not being a zealot, I also used Windows on the desktop and had dabbled in Android. Then I started to mix with Apple users and discovered that too many were like this awful commenter. “Poor stupid people” indeed. I have since transitioned to other platforms and given away all my Apple devices.
i used to be like you.. then i got a note 4, and its amazing and thats great n all considering i was an apple user for 4 years… BUT… the thing is, my note 4 is now a fully functioning pipboy-3000.
I dont think i need to say more.
And yet you’re an iPhone user. Does not compute.
Google it. Samsung still dominate the market over Apple despite a 20% drop in sales.
I love the aggression that comes out whenever iPhone versus Android articles appear.
Why people feel the need to perpetrate this silly Android / iOS holy war is beyond me. Why do you care what others use? How does it add value to anyone in any way? I just don’t get it.
I’ve used both platforms extensively. I recently bought an IPhone 6, used it for 3 days then changed to a G3, and now (after a toddler relayed incident), a Z3. No comparison, Android suits my needs best by far. And that is what matters, not the brand name.