Android and iOS have been battling market dominance for more than a decade, and their constant rivalry has driven innovation and improved user experiences in the smartphone segment. Although both platforms introduced innovative features with each new version, outdoing their competitors and constantly raising the bar to meet evolving user demands, Android remains the absolute leader. Moreover, its market share has continuously grown in the past twelve months.
According to data presented by AltIndex.com, the Android market share has increased for five quarters in a row, reaching 71.7% in Q3.
The Rise of Chinese Smartphone Vendors Fuels Android Market Share Growth
Google's Android and Apple's iOS have evolved through updates, introducing new features and capabilities over the years. The latest version of iOS, iOS 17, was released in September 2023, while Android 14 was made available a month later.
Although iOS, exclusively available only on Apple's iPhone devices, has had better success in bringing its users up to date, Android's open-source approach, which allows different smartphone manufacturers to use and modify the OS, led to the explosive growth of Android-powered devices.
The rise of Chinese smartphone vendors Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, and Realme, primarily using the Android operating system, has only fuelled Android's market share growth, offering feature-rich smartphones at highly competitive prices. Their cost-effective models have helped Android to reach a larger audience, especially in price-sensitive markets like Africa and India, boosting its global presence and further solidifying its dominant position.
As a result, the Android market share has been increasing for five quarters in a row. According to StatCounter data, as the world`s leading mobile operating system, Android hit a 71.7% market share in the third quarter of 2024. Its closest rival, Apple's iOS, holds 27.6% of the mobile operating system market.
Android's 71.7% market share comes after five straight quarters of growth, marking a significant recovery after a drop in Q2 2023. The platform`s market share slipped to under 69% during that quarter, marking the lowest point in years. On the other hand, the iOS market share decreased in this period.
According to StatCounter, Apple's mobile operating system had a 30.2% market share in Q2 2023. Since then, it has dropped by 2.6% to $27.6% in Q3 2024.
Android Market Share Grows in the North American Market; iOS is Losing Ground in Europe
Although affordability plays a major role in Android growth, as Android phones cater to both high-end and budget-conscious consumers, making them more appealing in emerging markets, the platform's market share has been growing even in the saturated and iOS-dominated North American market.
Although iOS remains the market leader in the region, its market share has dropped from 56.8% in Q2 2023 to 55.2% in Q3 2024. On the other hand, Android's market share increased by 1.7% in this period, and it now stands at 44.4%.
The European market remains highly dominated by Android devices. Statistics show Android market share in Europe increased from 63.1% in Q2 2023 to 67.7% in Q3 this year. On the other hand, iOS has been losing ground, with its market share falling by 4.4% in this period to 31.8%.
