AdMob: iPhone OS devices lead Android OS products in US with ratio of 2 to 1

Summary: AdMob recently took on the task of examining the growth and highest concentrations of devices based on the iPhone OS versus that of Android-based gadgets. While Android OS devices have some high concentration levels across North America, Asia and Western Europe, the iPhone has it beat with a larger distribution worldwide.

AdMob recently took on the task of examining the growth and highest concentrations of devices based on the iPhone OS versus that of Android-based gadgets. While Android OS devices have some high concentration levels across three continents, the iPhone has it beat with a larger distribution worldwide.

According to the findings in AdMob's April 2010 Mobile Metrics Report, there were 8.7 million Android OS devices and 18.3 million iPhone OS devices (iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch) in the US last month. The April release of the iPad in the US surely gave Apple a boost there, and that factors down to a 2 to 1 ratio of iPhone OS to Android devices.

Worldwide, AdMob found that there were 11.6 million Android OS devices versus 40.8 million iPhone OS devices, producing a 3.5 to 1 ratio.

As for where each OS seems to be more prominent, the greatest concentration of Android OS devices were in North America (75%), Asia (12%) and Western Europe (11%). Numbers for the iPhone OS devices reveal that distribution is spread wider across the world, although the biggest concentration is also in North America with 44% in the US and 5% in Canada.

The popularity of iPhone OS devices is developing fastest in Asia at staggering growth rate of 474%. But there are more Android-powered gadgets in China than iPhones, leading the way with a trio of HTC mobile phones (the Hero, Magic and Dream).

While it may seem from all of this that iPhone OS-based gadgets are outselling Android OS devices, the growth of Android products is pretty impressive. Yet the stats could become further lopsided if the iPhone really does become available with Verizon in the US and if/when the next-gen iPhone is released. However, even though ventures like the Nexus One didn't go well, Android's numbers and the success of handsets like the HTC Droid Incredible should serve as warnings to Apple not to get too relaxed. It isn't completely unlikely that Android could outstrip Apple's sales within two years.

[Graph via AdMob]

Topics: Android, Smartphones, Security, Operating Systems, Mobile OS, iPad, iPhone, iOS, Apple, Software

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  • It sounds like Android is currently outselling iPhone, but, of course the

    talking total numbers in the hands of consumers, iPhone is still way ahead, as it has been on the market longer, and, until recently was of course outselling Android.
    DonnieBoy
    • Just tried Flash on Android

      Despite all Flash trivial problems it is feels just right to be able to use it on a phone. Apple is nuts to ban Flash from iLand and will lose market share over this decision.
      LBiege
      • RE: AdMob: iPhone OS devices leads Android OS products in US with ratio of 2 to 1

        Oh, goody. Adobe's buggy, useless Flush --er, Flash-- software on a phone. I guess I'll go right out and buy one. Not.
        IowaTVMan
      • RE: AdMob: iPhone OS devices leads Android OS products in US with ratio of 2 to 1

        @IowaTVMan

        <i>Oh, goody. Adobe's buggy, useless Flush --er, Flash-- software on a phone. I guess I'll go right out and buy one. Not. </i>

        You don't want Flash. That's fine.
        But why does someone who DOES want it have to be unilaterally deprived of it? Why is it OK with you for someone to TELL you you don't need or want flash?

        Bow down to Big Brother Jobs. It's 1984
        tikigawd
      • RE: AdMob: iPhone OS devices leads Android OS products in US with ratio of 2 to 1

        @tikigawd: Did IowaTVMan say he was going to buy and iPhone and let Jobs choose for him? He simply stated that Flash isn't going to be his deciding factor.

        You are letting your absolute hatred for anything apple get the better of you.
        Snooki_smoosh_smoosh
      • RE: AdMob: iPhone OS devices leads Android OS products in US with ratio of 2 to 1

        @IowaTVMan
        You seem not to have done your maths here! Rachel's talking about total sales here and if in less than half the lifetime of the 'iPhone iPad iPod touch combo' the Android can have a 1:2 ratio, I think Apple will be looking over their shoulders and Google will be mighty pleased. looks like d 'Flash' OS is winning this one!
        oscardetoy@...
      • Apple is Making Their Own Flash!

        @LBiege That's why they're against FLASH. The project has been in the works for many months, when like IBM and Intel, Adobe ignored their requests to jump in and help get things running right on Apple products. With IBM it was them refusing to move on processors needed to compete with x86 in a timely manner.<br><br>Now with Intel, it's the fact that Intel forced them to use their cheap integrated GPU's in their mother boards and tried to lock them out of Nvidia's Integrated CPU/GPU products. So now Apple is busy planning to bring ATI's integrated CPU/GPU's into future products.<br><br>They also had problems with i7 iMacs that involves Security firmware compatibility problems with OS-X boot mechanisms for secure vault or process authentications. A very similar problem with some Seagate drives that lock, don't boot or slow down the booting process on them. Gateway and Apple have been hit the hardest by these rotten drives. Still no factory recall on these drives as yet!<br><br>I've got one right now and I'm going to have to physically install an soldered in interface so I can rescue this new drive, that was only 2 months old!<br><br>Now will Apple be successful at making an alternative player to FLASH? Well they already have one in Quicktime. But's it's hardly a contender to either Flash or Silverlight. Unless they open the containerized player up to the World, it's doubtful that it can make a dent in the FLASH Market with developers entrenched in such an easy way of coding content cross platforms and devices in FLASH. Developers need and want to make money and just as Game developers on PC's and Consoles are finding out, it's costing more and more to make games for just one system. That's why the biggest selling games are running on many different platforms and operating systems.<br><br>Lastly, Google is turning into Adobe's best customer. Google will not need to pay for a FLASH license ever again anyway. Their YouTube license deal with Adobe is already paid for in advance. Adobe has even already incorporated VP8 and Google is working 24/7 to convert all existing 720p and 1080p videos to the new format. At the same time all new HD video content is being converted on the fly to VP8. What happens when that's completed and Google decides put to work, the reason they bought VP8 in the first place? Which was to save on Bandwidth costs with a codec that is better optimized for web streaming with less space and bandwidth used!<br><br>You'll have the largest video content server on the web by far, completely off H.264 and using VP8 with FLASH only (remember Adobe's promise, we will deliver VP8 to 1 Billion people before the end of the year. It will be the dominant codec on the web, merely by being on YouTube alone! ...and don't tell me Google can't decide to save their own money or that Apple can require them to keep H.264 files just for Apple. Because it ain't going to happen that way and you all know it! NO doubt it's Apple's users that will suffer for the company's pig headedness!
        i2fun@...
      • RE: AdMob: iPhone OS devices leads Android OS products in US with ratio of 2 to 1

        @LBiege R u a shill for Adobe/Flash ? Shame on u for making an ass of yourself.......shame shame shame.....
        masterurmind
      • You are a Shill and don't know it! lol

        @masterurmind Don't have to be a shill for Adobe FLASH to be against the nuts that run Apple! ....or the few shills for Steve Jobs like you around here!
        i2fun@...
    • Why Kid Yourselves! :O

      @DonnieBoy Apple is locked into a very lucrative deal with AT&T for 5yrs (it's been confirmed). Of course they could break it, but it would take a fantastic deal offered by Verizon without too high a penalty from AT&T. Why would Verizon bite the hand that feeds them by going against their present phone suppliers to offer iPhones at a loss. Against their fiercest competitor, AT&T. Which doesn't make anything off the sale of the phones themselves and AT&T is still paying Apple for the honor of selling iPhones, making Apple richer and not them.

      Here's the major problem with these numbers reported here. iPhones have been offered since 2007. As has the entire new lines of iPod products ever since iPhone was introduced. So in the USA market that's just double the amount of devices in double the amount of time as Android. How great is that? NOT that great.... and these numbers include all the iPhone OS devices. Including Apple TV sold and even third generation iPod Nanos that also have iPhone OS installed too!

      "What's interesting, however, is that Apple has also been working on Mac OS-based iPod software for models that will retain their click-wheels -- such as third-generation iPod nanos. Interface concept videos recently published and then pulled from MacRumors consisted of genuine Apple material to this effect, AppleInsider can confirm." 2007- August

      Apple has indeed announced they will further market iPhone OS platform on other devices, not yet announced. But the momentum has taken a turn in Android's favor with venders signing on to Google TV built right into Televisions using Intel chips. So apparently Intel is out to settle a score with Apple by way of proxy in Google Android TV!

      BTW... Android as an OS was incorporated in 2003 over a year before Apple even had a hardware mockup to port OS-X to. Andy Rubin had already been a part of the WebTV browsing appliance development, among other things. He felt that phones needed to be more personal preference and location aware. So he started writing Android from scratch on a base Linux kernel with these concepts in mind. Stripped of all legacy driver modules, etc. That's why it's taken so much longer than Apple merely porting OS-X (some legacy code and all) to their then, upcoming iPod combo phone with the only ground up design going to the Touch Screen interface!


      Apple didn't put the first call out for Touch Screen engineers until they'd applied for patents in late 2004 as part of their 30month development initiative for iPhone. Google bought Android in August 2005, just two years after it began and was incorporated by Andy Rubin. Naturally the OS in a ground up design is going to take longer than a ported OS. But there are benefits to that. It's design came from the very start in being able to run on many devices (as did iPhone OS). The difference is that Android took this much further and from the start has supported far more hardware components. Including Nvidia, Intel, ATI/AMD, Arm, and now they are also working on MIPS port... and Android is just starting to get rolling. Their Future is Wide OPEN! ;)

      BTW.... iPhone on Verizon? Ain't going to happen if AT&T has anything to say about it! ....and there's at least two years to go on that signed 5 year exclusive!
      i2fun@...
  • Market share not the same as growth rate

    Saying that iPhone has a bigger market share than Android is like saying Vista has a bigger market share than Windows 7 (the latter statement is, by the way, factually correct at this point in time). Any product that is on the market longer will have the legacy numbers to support it. What is important is the current growth rate, and here both the iPhone and especially the Android are winners. In any case, most consumers will not do the technical research in choosing a smartphone. They will gravitate towards a nice-looking smartphone that they can try in a store and get a good discount on. With Android gaining brand recognition, as well as wide support by carriers, apps developers, and hardware manufacturers, Android is poised to make a real strong market presence by this Christmas. Apple and Steve Jobs are sensitive about this, judging from Apple's official public rejection of the rise of Android, and Jobs' private angry comments about Google.
    Benjie Dog
    • And Apple suing HTC Android

      @Benjie Dog
      [i]Apple and Steve Jobs are sensitive about this, judging from Apple's official public rejection of the rise of Android, and Jobs' private comments about Google.[/i]

      And Apple's not so private lawsuit against HTC Android. Apple is [b]terrified[/b] by Android, hence the incredible amount of astro-turfing being performed by the Apple zealots.
      NonZealot
      • By Feb 2011 Android will be ahead in all respects

        More phones, More Apps, More options
        Uralbas
      • RE: AdMob: iPhone OS devices leads Android OS products in US with ratio of

        @NonZealot

        And the blindly anti-Apple (Not-So-Non)Zealots.
        RealNonZealot
      • RE: AdMob: iPhone OS devices leads Android OS products in US with ratio of 2 to 1

        @NonZealot So any lawsuit filed by [i]Apple[/i] is due to fear but the lawsuits filed [i]against[/i] Apple by Nokia and Elan are not? I guess the lawsuit Microsoft filed against Salesforce (http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/microsoft-sues-salesforcecom-for-alleged-patent-infringement/6259?tag=mantle_skin;content) was also not driven by fear?

        I see the double standards have already been queued
        athynz
      • Your an idiot.

        @NonZealot: If Apple believes a company has infringed on the patents that Apple owns, then they have a legal obligation to bring about litigation, same as MSFT, Same as Nokia, same as any other IP holder.

        Has very little to do with fear. Besides if Apple wanted to, they probably could buyout Qualcomm with very little issue, HTC parent company. So I am so sure Apple is SOOO afraid.
        Snooki_smoosh_smoosh
      • @JM1981: LOL, that hurts!!

        [i]Your an idiot.[/i]

        LOL, oh, the irony! All I can say in return is:
        [i]Nu uh, [b]you're[/b] an idiot![/i]

        LOL!
        NonZealot
      • RE: AdMob: iPhone OS devices leads Android OS products in US with ratio of 2 to 1

        @athynz
        You have a valid point against NonZealot but then, NZ's just mirroring what I've been noticing from Apple fanboys and the anti-Microsoft (or should that be M$) crowd. If MS had taken some of the steps Apple has taken in recent times (like restricting app developers to C based languages) they'd be up to their necks in anti-trust cases by now!
        oscardetoy@...
      • @oscardetoy

        It doesn't even have anything at all to do with MS. When Nokia first sued Apple, all the Apple fanboys [b]immediately[/b] started blathering about how Nokia was only doing this because they were terrified. I'm making fun of those Apple fanboys by playing the "What if it were Apple?" game. This time, it actually [b]is[/b] Apple so it makes my game very easy to play. It is [b]so[/b] easy to expose their double standards. :)
        NonZealot
      • RE: AdMob: iPhone OS devices leads Android OS products in US with ratio of

        @NonZealot

        Actually, "annoyed" by Android would be more accurate.
        Jkirk3279