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iOS and Android Continue to Expand Their Share of the Smartphone Market

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According to a new survey just published by the International Data Corporation (IDC), iOS and Android-powered smartphones accounted for more than eight out of ten smartphones shipped in the first quarter of 2012. Taking the figures from its Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, the IDC says that Android and iOS held shares of 59.0% and 23.0% respectively of the 152.3 million smartphones shipped in the first quarter of 2012. This marks an increase from the year-ago quarter, when iOS and Android had a combined share of 54.4%. IDC says that this impressive share gain shows that iOS and Android have managed to successfully distance themselves from previous market leaders Symbian and BlackBerry, as well as Linux, and Windows Phone 7/Windows Mobile.

"The popularity of Android and iOS stems from a combination of factors that the competition has struggled to keep up with," said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC's Mobile Phone Technology and Trends program. "Neither Android nor iOS were the first to market with some of these features, but the way they made the smartphone experience intuitive and seamless has quickly earned a massive following."

"In order for operating system challengers to gain share, their creators and hardware partners need to secure developer loyalty," said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC's Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker program. "This is true because developer intentions or enthusiasm for a particular operating system is typically a leading indicator of hardware sales success."

IDC reports that iOS recorded strong year-over-year growth, with great demand for the iPhone 4S after the holiday quarter, and plenty of new operators carrying the iPhone for the first time.

Source: IDC
 
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