Smartphones running Android accounted for 85% of global shipments in the second quarter, according to research firm Strategy Analytics, up from roughly 80% in 2013. Overall smartphone shipments grew to 295 million units last quarter, a 27% increase from the same period in 2013.
Android phones are sold by a variety of hardware makers, including Samsung, HTC and Xiaomi.
“Like the PC market, Android is on the verge of turning smartphone platforms into a one-horse race,” said Neil Mawston, Strategy Analytics’ executive director, in a press release. “Its low-cost services and user-friendly software remain wildly attractive to hardware makers, operators and consumers worldwide.”
Rival smartphone operating-system makers all saw their market shares decline in the second quarter, compared with a year earlier. Apple’s share fell to 11.9%, from 13.4% and Microsoft 'sMSFT +0.49% share dropped to 2.7%, from 3.8%. BlackBerry BB.T -3.59% shipments have all but disappeared, registering a scant 0.6% share, down from 2.4% a year ago.
The biggest threats to Android gaining even more share, Mawston said, are Apple’s expected release of larger iPhones later this year and plans by the Mozilla Foundation to support ultra-low-cost smartphones powered by its Firefox operating system.
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