IDC: Android Looms as ‘Wild Card’ in Growing Smartphone Market
Keep an eye on Android. That’s the word from International Data Corp. (IDC) in its new forecast on the global smartphone market.
Android’s share of the worldwide smartphone market is expected to climb from 16.3 percent this year to 24.6 percent in 2014, according to an IDC report. That would represent a jump of 51.2 percent, larger than any other smartphone operating system.
Windows Mobile is the only other smartphone operating system that IDC envisions will experience double-digit growth (43.3 percent) from 2010 to 2014.
“Android is the wild card, deserving close observation for the rest of this year and the years to come,” said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst at IDC.
“Phone vendors have been drawn to Android because it allows them to present their own approach to what a smartphone experience can be. In addition, users have quickly warmed to Android, comparing it to iOs [Apple’s operating system] due to its ease of use and a growing mobile application storefront.”
Llamas said vendors like Dell, Kyocera, LG and Samsung will help expand the Android market. Android is Google’s operating system.
Overall, IDC predicts the smartphone market will grow 55.4 percent this year compared with 2009 amid greater-than-expected demand for do-it-all devices. Despite uncertainty about the economy, IDP forecasts the smartphone market will increase another 24.5 percent in 2011.
“The smartphone is the catalyst behind the rebound in the worldwide mobile phone market this year,” said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst at IDC.
IDC expects Symbian to maintain its No. 1 standing among smartphone operating systems over the next four years, with a projected 32.9 percent market share in 2014. However, Symbian will lose share, primarily to Android, according to IDC.
The research firm predicts iOs will lose the largest chunk of market share among smartphone operating systems, dropping from 14.7 percent this year to 10.9 percent in 2014.
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