Android Leads in Operating System Share Android and iOS Capture Windows

Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, LLC (CIRP) has released its latest results of its research on mobile phone operating systems for the calendar quarter that ended March 31, 2014. This analysis features findings about consumer trends in mobile phone operating systems from January – March 2014.

CIRP finds that Google’s Android operating system had a somewhat greater share of mobile phone activations than Apple s iOS in the quarter. Android accounted for 53 percent of mobile phone operating system buyers, while iOS was at 42 percent (see chart). Windows, Blackberry, and non-smartphones each accounted for less than 3 percent of activations in this sample.

Operating System Share of Activations

“In a quarter without any significant phone launch, more buyers chose Android phones than iOS,” says Josh Lowitz, Partner and co-founder of CIRP. “It increased its share considerably over the previous quarter, when it had only 46 percent of activations. iOS share of activations fell from 48 percent in the previous quarter, the first full quarter with iPhone 5S and 5C sales.”

CIRP also analyzed shifts among operating systems. On that basis, both iOS and Android gained customers from other platforms. For customers who activated a phone: Android 53%, iOS 42%, Windows 1%, Blackberry 1%, basic 3%.

Android Leads iOS in the quarter

Android grew from 43 percent share of those customers at the beginning of the quarter to 53 percent at the end. Similarly,iOS grew from 30 percent of the buying population at the beginning of the quarter to 42 percent at the end. While Windows and Blackberry lost some share among this quarter’s phone buyers, the bulk came from basic phones. At the beginning of the quarter, 20 percent of these phone buyers had basic phones, but non-smartphones had only 3 percent of the total share of phones during the quarter.

Operating System Share at Start and End of Quarter

“On a percentage bases during the quarter, iOS grew a little faster than Android, from a smaller base, even though in absolute terms Android had a larger share,” says Mike Levin, Partner and co-founder of CIRP. “The long term issue is where Android and iOS growth will come from when there are no more basic phones being retired. First time smartphone buyers are key to that equation.”

CIRP bases its findings on a survey of 500 US subjects, from April 1 – 6, 2014, that activated a new or used phone in the January – March 2014 period. For additional information, visit:
http://www.cirpllc.com

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