Strategy Analytics: Android reaches 84%, can't grow further

According to data from Strategy Analytics quoted by the WSJ, Android has reached its peak market share at 85% as seen in Q2 2013. In Q3 2014, Android's presence has declined by 1 percent point and is now 84%. Strategy Analytics executive director Neil Mawston says that Android's success is due to a collapse of Apple iPhone sales from the previous quarter. With the launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, the Cupertino company is getting back on its feet. In the period ending in September, Apple held 12% of the market share, while Windows Phone and BlackBerry stand at 3% and 1%, respectively. The slight drop in Android's market share isn't of worry to Google, as the company sees a rise in a metric that's far more positive than this. Google took more control of Android with 37% of the phones with Android used a forked version of the OS without Google services. This number is down by 2 percent point from the previous quarter, meaning more revenue for Google and its ad-based business model. Samsung is still the largest Android smartphone manufacturer, but its market share is dwindling. The South Korean company's market share for Q3 2014 is 25%, down from 35% last year. Xiaomi is the main culprit for Samsung's market share fall as it manages to sell its phones closer to what they actually cost and makes money primarily on accessories. Source |...