The smartphone market may seem to offer more variety, but the reality of it seems to be that Google and Apple dominate the mobile market to an extent that it makes the market look a lot like a two-party state with little room for outsiders.
The latest figures come from a comScore report, which found that Google and Apple combined for over 88 percent of the smartphone platform market. Google's Android operating system commanded 53.7 percent of the market in Nov. 2012, up from 52.6 percent in Aug. 2012. Apple's iOS, meanwhile, gobbled up 35 percent of the market in Nov. 2012, up from 34.3 percent in Aug. 2012. These figures don't include holiday shopping numbers, which would probably reflect an increase in the two companies' market shares.
From the looks of it, Android and iOS will continue to become the go-to smartphone platforms for a while to come. Android phones gained a lot of momentum in 2012 with smartphones like the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 selling millions of units. and Apple continues to be the world's most valuable company as its brand image means iPhones are always in demand.
Nokia's Symbian has been culled, Microsoft has made a more aggressive mobile push with Windows, and RIM is looking to mount a comeback, but it's hard to imagine either one of those platforms wrenching away the crown from Google or Apple. Besides, it will take some time for developers to fill up the app stores for Windows and Blackberry to the levels of Google Play or the App Store.
The same comScore report also found that Samsung was the top mobile OEM, with 26.9 percent of the market. Apple came in second with 18.5 percent, and LG dropped to third with 17.5 percent.
What do you think of Google and Apple's dominance? Does it foster or hinder progress in the tech industry?
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