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Android, iOS head to duopoly: We need a No. 3 stat

By | November 29, 2011, 12:18pm PST

Summary: Android and Apple’s iOS dominates the smartphone ecosystem. Is that a good thing?

The smartphone market is headed to a duopoly of Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS and perhaps it’s time to sweat whether a No. 3 platform has a chance in hell to compete.

Nielsen on Tuesday outlined a few statistics that aren’t surprising, but could be construed as alarming nonetheless.

  • 71 percent of U.S. smartphone owners either own an Android device or iPhone.
  • 83 percent of apps downloaded in the last 30 days use the iPhone or an Android device.

The chart below outlines the situation:

Given the current state of affairs I have to side with the carriers who want another option. The issue is I’m not sure who else can step up. Windows Phone 7 could be an option, but Nokia is a no-show in the U.S. RIM has its own issues. Who can step up and derail the duopoly or bust situation?

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Topics

Google Android, Smart Phone, Duopoly, Smart Phones, Apple iOS, Mobile Operating Systems, Mobile Security, Cellular Phones, Handhelds, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Hardware, Larry Dignan

Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and SmartPlanet as well as Editorial Director of ZDNet's sister site TechRepublic.

Disclosure

Larry Dignan

Larry Dignan has nothing to disclose. He doesn’t hold investments in the technology companies he covers.

Biography

Larry Dignan

Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and SmartPlanet as well as Editorial Director of ZDNet's sister site TechRepublic. He was most recently Executive Editor of News and Blogs at ZDNet. Prior to that he was executive news editor at eWeek and news editor at Baseline. He also served as the East Coast news editor and finance editor at CNET News.com. Larry has covered the technology and financial services industry since 1995, publishing articles in WallStreetWeek.com, Inter@ctive Week, The New York Times, and Financial Planning magazine. He's a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism and the University of Delaware.

For daily updates, follow Larry on Twitter.

Talkback Most Recent of 31 Talkback(s)

  • RE: Android, iOS head to duopoly: We need a No. 3 stat
    I continue to remember the coffin being paraded down the street by MS employees to symbolise the death of other mobile phone OSes. It was certainly a symbol of the death of an OS . . . but certainly not Android or iOS happy
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Habiloso
    29th Nov
  • RE: Android, iOS head to duopoly: We need a No. 3 stat
    @Habiloso Yeah that was brutal. A "Mission Accomplished" moment.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Larry Dignan
    29th Nov
  • RE: Android, iOS head to duopoly: We need a No. 3 stat
    @Larry Dignan Typical misguided optimism, thinking your latest product will be an overnight success, without having compelling features.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Rick_Kl
    29th Nov
    • Flagged
  • RE: Android, iOS head to duopoly: We need a No. 3 stat
    @Larry Dignan

    Several posts have already been flagged, including mine, albeit that there is nothing offensive about those. Larry, can I humbly suggest that ZDNet deal with whomever it was who flagged those posts. I realise that it is a extra work, but children should not be allowed to play with adults.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Habiloso
    29th Nov
    • Flagged
  • That is odd Rick_Kl, as it appears those that have not proclaimed
    @Rick_Kl
    Apple as the end-all, be-all of everything have been flagged.

    I find it interesting that in a post in which someone counters your pro Apple stance with an opinion or fact not in support of Apple, they are flagged.

    As I said, interesting.
    plain
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Mister Spock
    29th Nov
  • RE: Android, iOS head to duopoly: We need a No. 3 stat
    There is a clear number three, unless you have never heard of Blackberry. It is not the responsibility of Apple, or Google, to promote other mobile OSs. It is up to the mobile OS vendor to pay to advertise, and promote their product.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Rick_Kl
    29th Nov
  • People are losing faith in Blackberry
    @Rick_Kl
    even investors are losing faith in Blackberry
    ZDNet Gravatar
    William Farrell
    29th Nov
  • RE: Android, iOS head to duopoly: We need a No. 3 stat
    @William Farrell besides the top three (and they are the top three for a valid reason) there is no compelling reason to pick one of the bottom feeders. HP/Palm had a chance, but did not even try.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Rick_Kl
    29th Nov
    • Flagged
  • Rick_Kl There's no compelling reason to pick either of the top two
    @William Farrell
    Since having used WP7, iPhones, and Androids (not "played" with them, I use and deal with them) I found WP7 perfect for me as it does everything I need it to do and does it very well.

    It works better then many of the Android models, and has none of the issues iPhone had. Blackberry , I have no use for that, so it's not a consideration, and has limitations of it's own. Even the die hard blackberry users here at work are switching to either WP7, iPhone, or Android.

    So Android and iphone offer nothing over WP7 except a higher price tag, so they are not even worth considering at all, IMHO
    ZDNet Gravatar
    William Farrell
    29th Nov
    • Flagged
  • Interesting that some people don't want to hear alternate opinions
    @William Farrell
    I wonder why someone flagged my post? Hmmm.
    Rick_Kl says besides the top three (and they are the top three for a valid reason) there is no compelling reason to pick one of the bottom feeders. HP/Palm had a chance, but did not even try

    Yet to counter that since I see no compelling reason to pay 200 for an iPhone or Android phone, instead of someone offering up reasons, Rick just flags the response.

    Look, if you don't like other people's opininions, then don't post yours.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    William Farrell
    29th Nov
    • Flagged
  • Yes Rick_Kl, they are the top three for a valid reason.
    @William Farrell
    the fact that all three of the phone OS's you are talking about have been out for over 4 years (Blackberry for over 12 years), while WP7 which has been out for only 1 year.

    I believe that is a valid enough reason, is it not?
    plain
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Mister Spock
    29th Nov
  • You can't argue with logic
    @Mister Spock
    the fact that all three of the phone OS's you are talking about have been out for over 4 years (Blackberry for over 12 years), while WP7 which has been out for only 1 year.
    He never saw that coming
    +1 happy
    ZDNet Gravatar
    John Zern
    29th Nov
  • Investors are the most gullible of all people. It's a compulsive disease..
    Greed that is.

    @William Farrell

    Without due diligence understanding of the fundamentals, including technology, there are a majority of naive people which will only look at superficial numbers, and use the cromo-effect, jump onto the bandwagon; Explaining all the huge losses the market has suffered over times again and again.

    What do the American Airline investors think of today's news? Stocks are 85% down from before they said they filed for bankruptcy... How a difference one day makes?

    ~~~~~~~~~~
    Risk comes from not knowing what you're doing.
    ~ Warren Buffett

    One of the funny things about the stock market is that every time one person buys, another sells, and both think they are astute.
    ~ William Feather

    The investor of today does not profit from yesterday's growth.
    ~ Warren Buffett
    ZDNet Gravatar
    WinTard
    29th Nov
  • RE: Android, iOS head to duopoly: We need a No. 3 stat
    @Mister Spock it is quite logical to expect people to pass on Microsofts latest (yet not greatest) mobile OS. Microsoft is starting to resume the type of behavior that got them into trouble the last time. People are finding out about it this time and are not going to reward Microsoft for their bad behavior. Also, for all the whining and complaining the Microsoft supporters, and company representatives did about the other mobile OSs, Microsofts offering falls short of the other 4 OSs.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Rick_Kl
    30th Nov
  • RE: Android, iOS head to duopoly: We need a No. 3 stat
    @John Zern how long has windows mobile been out? Windows phoen is basically a new UI duct tapped on Windows Mobile: Your argument starts to fall apart upon closer inspection. Both Windows mobile and Windows phoen are built on Windows CE. They just have different UIs stuck on top. So How long has Windows Mobile been out? The best data I can find indicates around late 2001/early 2002. Given those dates: Microsoft has been making a mobile device OS for 5 years longer than Apple, 6 years longer the Google, and only 3 years less than RIM. Again that speaks volumes about how the public feels about Microsoft products. Without leveraging a monopoly position people freely reject Microsoft???s inferior products.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Rick_Kl
    30th Nov
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