The IDC Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker has detailed the dominance the Android and iOS mobile operating systems are, but one proves stronger than the other.
According to the IDC, the Android dwarfed all its competition during the fourth quarter of 2012 with 70.1 percent of mobile owners utilizing an Android operating system smartphone. In second place, Apple's iOS earned 21 percent of the market share.
With the market share of both Android and iOS users, both accounted to 91.1 percent.
"The dominance of Android and Apple reached a new watermark in the fourth quarter," said IDC's Mobile Phone Team Research Manager Ramon Llamas. "Android boasted a broad selection of smartphones, and an equally deep list of smartphone vendor partners. Finding an Android smartphone for nearly any budget, taste, size, and price was all but guaranteed during 2012. As a result, Android was rewarded with market-beating growth."
In comparison to 2011's fourth quarter, the Android increased by double-digits from 52.9 percent. The iOS, however, decreased by two percent heading into 2012. The 2011 iOS market share was 23 percent.
The BlackBerry landed in third place in the market share with 3.2 percent while the Windows Phone/Windows Mobile totaled 2.6 percent.
As for expectations for 2013, IDC's Mobile Device Trackers' Program Manager Ryan Reith said, "With the recent introductions of two new smartphone platforms we expect some ground to be made by the new entrants over the coming years. There is no question the road ahead is uphill for both Microsoft and BlackBerry, but history shows us consumers are open to change. Platform diversity is something not only the consumers have asked for, but also the operators."
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