back to article Android in FOUR out of 5 new smartphones. How d'ya like dem Apples?

The latest numbers from analyst house IDC on global smartphone sales during the third quarter of the year make good reading for Google and Microsoft – but it appears that Blackberry is dead in the water. Of the 211.6 million smartmobes sold in the quarter, Android took 81 per cent of the market, ahead of Apple at 12.1 per cent …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I'm glad for NSA

    :-)

    -- Guy Fawkes

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I'm glad for NSA

      Thanks for your support ˙ ͜ʟ˙

      ­– NSA

      1. Shaha Alam

        Re: I'm glad for NSA

        *like*

        - GCHQ

  2. bitten

    It's more painful to Microsoft than Apple I think as Apple does not aim to anything other than the premium market.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Well Microsoft makes a lot of money off Android from licensing so they may not have market share but they get the dollars.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      @bitten - "It's more painful to Microsoft than Apple I think as Apple does not aim to anything other than the premium market."

      =========================

      If the market grows 39%, and Apple's sales only grew 25%, then Apple is the one that has the problem. Windows phone sales grew over 150% - about 4X the rate of market growth. Much of Windows' growth, I would guess, was at the expense of Apple.

      We were reading these exact same headlines about Blackberry 3 years ago. Proprietary, locked-in hardware plus proprietary, locked-in software in a declining slice of the market. Bad, bad news for Tim Cook.

      1. ThomH

        BlackBerry's problem was that it wanted to ship a modern OS in a touchscreen mobile. It didn't have the technology ready. So it threw away its existing customers in order to spend a few years developing a me too product.

        Apple's problems are entirely distinct. It's comfortable servicing one segment of the market and that segment isn't growing much any more. It seems vaguely interested in other segments (per the 5C) but doesn't really seem to have much enthusiasm in pursuing them.

        The two are in very different positions. It's likely that what happens to them from now on will be very different.

        See also: what Windows did to Commodore and Atari versus what Windows did to Apple.

      2. Richard Plinston

        > Windows phone sales grew over 150% - about 4X the rate of market growth.

        Article: 'Windows Phone handsets saw sales grow 156 per cent,'

        IDC: ""Windows Phone handsets saw sales grow 156 per cent, ... with 9.5 million units during the period."""

        They only did 3.7 million in Q32012. That was a particular low point because of the deadening of WP7 and the unavailability of WP8. In the previous quarter they sold 5.4 million.

      3. fishman

        Microsoft market share not growing?

        A couple of years ago, the Windows Mobile + Windows Phone marketshare was 3.6%. Now the Windows Mobile marketshare has died, and Microsoft still only has the same marketshare as before. So the growth of Windows Phone has been at the expense of Windows Mobile.

        1. fung0
          Thumb Up

          Re: Microsoft market share not growing?

          fishman said: "So the growth of Windows Phone has been at the expense of Windows Mobile."

          Exactly right. And at the expense of BlackBerry. Have you ever met anyone who would even contemplate giving up their iPhone for a WinPhone?? It is to laugh.

          As far as that 150% growth... that's mathematically inevitable for any product that's starting from scratch. (Growth from zero market share to 0.01% is literally infinite, but completely meaningless) In reality, Microsoft is spending billions to subsidize its meager 3.6%, while Apple is making a juicy profit off its 12.1%. The two are much further apart than the high-level statistics suggest.

          Microsoft's mistake was even thinking about competing with Apple, when Google is the big, fat target. And the one taking business that should have been Microsoft's, based on qualities like (relative) openness and friendliness with third-party hardware OEMs. If Microsoft had smoothly evolved Windows Mobile, perhaps making it play nicer with Windows proper, today it would BE Android.

    3. g.marconi

      I think Apple must have given up on the premium market judging by the vast number of problems they have currently with most of their products ! Just on quality and reliability they cannot catch up now, let alone the features and innovation side of things.

      1. Spanners Silver badge

        Premium Market?

        They are holding fast to premium pricing though.

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "It's more painful to Microsoft than Apple "

      Microsoft's market share grew over 150% in the last year and is accelerating - approaching 12% market share in the UK and EU top 5 for instance. I would think they are fairly happy with that....

  3. JDX Gold badge

    Easy fix for Apple

    Packaging their kit in a slightly bigger handset is not really a technological problem, if the market shows this form factor is desirable they can trot one out easily. Even with literally no new features, the 5S would be a big competitor in that market.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Easy fix for Apple

      Technically easy, yes. Except that it defines Apple as a follower. Already happened with the iPad mini. Apple buyers value the exclusivity, the innovation, the early adopter ideal just as much as the faux exclusivity of paying more than they need to for something. Much more of the "me too" offers and it'll be rather difficult to justify those fat margins, wouldn't you agree?

      1. sam bo

        Re: Easy fix for Apple

        "and it'll be rather difficult to justify those fat margins, wouldn't you agree?"

        The fat margins produce the high prices which give the exclusivity.

        Often times price is the only distinguishing feature of "luxury" goods.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Easy fix for Apple

          Marketing 1A:

          Luxury goods are a product of appealing to a select, tightly segmented elite clientele to start with. This clientele usually pays more for perceived quality, design and service. Then once you have a reputation for exclusivity and being fashion-forward, then you can cut the price SOMEWHAT and appeal to the upper portion of the mass market.

          And no, I am not a huge fan of Apple's current mobile phone marketing. They are pushing themselves too far into an exclusive demographic.

        2. Tromos

          Re: Easy fix for Apple

          'Often times price is the only distinguishing feature of "luxury" goods.'

          That and a prominent name or logo.

          1. FanMan

            That and a prominent name or logo...

            and great quality and ease-of use

            1. csumpi
              Stop

              Re: That and a prominent name or logo...

              "ease-of use"

              Like four finger tap, twist, slide down and hold? Gimme a break.

              I stick with the menu and back buttons.

            2. Spanners Silver badge

              Re: That and a prominent name or logo...

              That's why phones with that OS have 81% of the market.

            3. EPurpl3

              Re: That and a prominent name or logo...

              Ease of use, that's very important for a iTard

        3. Shaha Alam
          Coat

          Re: Easy fix for Apple

          don't forget rounded corners. If you want rounded corners there's only one place to go. supposedly.

          1. VulcanV5

            Re: Easy fix for Apple

            "don't forget rounded corners. If you want rounded corners there's only one place to go. supposedly."

            Rubbish. I got rounded corners when I bought an Asus TF201 Prime. It's an amazing tablet, an example of a manufacturer rushing to copy Apple instead of saying yah-boo, screw you. So the Prime has rounded corners and BEVELLED EDGES and it's light, too, thus satisfying all the 3-stone weaklings who wrote such glowing reviews of that tablet on its release. without actiually identifying any of its obvious flaws.

            The combination of rounded corners and bevelled edges and lightness means -- but of course -- that no HDMI connectionm will stay in its socket; the microSD card misses its seat and is chewed up by the tablet; the screen works loose; and, er, on top of all that, the sodding thing is hopeless with wifi and even worse with GPS. And it freezes and crashes with increasing regularity as time goes by.

            "Rounded corners" indeed. They just killed off an entire brand thanks to Asus's pathetic rush to turn its pioneering TF101 Transfrormer into a shoddy shabby Apple me-too. How nice it would be, as a customer, to be able to walk into the marketing department of an outfit like Asus and say: "You're all fvckin' fired!"

      2. FanMan

        Re: Easy fix for Apple

        Starting to make phones surely made them a follower from the get go?

        1. Neil Greatorex
          Mushroom

          FFS can we please speak English

          "from the get go?"

          From the start.

          For fucks sake, it's not difficult is it?

          1. swissrobin

            Re: FFS can we please speak English

            Apparently harder than you would have liked:

            For fuck's sake, it's not difficult is it?

          2. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: FFS can we please speak English

            "from the get go?"

            From the start.

            For fucks sake, it's not difficult is it?

            ======

            Sieg heil, grammar Nazi ahoy!

            1. Zot

              Re: FFS can we please speak English

              Ha! And you have no problem with "how d'ya like dem apples"? Are we suppose to say that in an accent?

      3. EPurpl3

        Re: Easy fix for Apple

        Apple? Innovation? Hahaha

    2. FanMan

      Apple Phablet

      I wish they would make a Big MacPhone, I'd buy one. I can't see the small writings so good no more.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Easy fix for Apple

      Actually it would be. When the WP8 Phablets are released Apple will have the lowest maximum screen resolution of the three top smartphone OS's and on a larger screen that is going to tell.

      If you go back to the move from 4S to 5 there were teething problems with apps changing the screen ratio, a lot of apps had to be updated so that they didn't look stretched or have black borders.

      Then there's the iPad issue. If the iPad mini (non-retina) is only and inch bigger and sports the same resolution are users expected to buy the iPad ir iPhone app? iPad apps are generally more expensive because of the higher resolution, that distinction will be lost on a Phablet.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Comparing 'Walled Gardens'

    at the moment and given Google's latest moves with data slurping and ads everywhere, one has to start to wonder if the infamous Apple Walled Garden might be the lesser of two evils.

    This may not last though.

    But you have to consider it but not that it matters to me either way as I don't use a smartphone.

    Sadly for an awful lot of people the Google slurping etc matters not one little bit. Sad but true.

    1. Insanity Inc

      Re: Comparing 'Walled Gardens'

      "Sadly for an awful lot of people the Google slurping etc matters not one little bit. Sad but true"

      I don't mind terribly much if Google "slurps" my data. It's not like MS and Apple haven't been doing it for years, and if it means the inevitable ads are more relevant to me, and I can ignore them like I do the irrelevant ads, where's the harm?

      1. Slawek

        Re: Comparing 'Walled Gardens'

        Google mines emails and text documents for business opportunities. This is order of magnitude more intrusive to what other companies are doing.

    2. Kevin McMurtrie Silver badge

      Re: Comparing 'Walled Gardens'

      Most of Google's slurping can be avoided by disabling Chrome, Maps, and Network Location Services. Alternatives are easy to come by. On the other hand, Apple is just getting their data slurping started and their mechanisms allow for no workaround.

      Both are invasive. If you do nothing, iOS will probably spy on you less. If you work at it, Android will spy less. I'm not sure about Windows - I haven't even seen one yet.

  5. Charlie Clark Silver badge

    Pinch of salt

    Usual Windows cheerleading from IDC. Best wait for more reliable real sales figures.

    1. Mikel

      Re: Pinch of salt

      Also, the 211M units of smartphones sold figure replicates multiple authors' errors on this subject - probably pasted from an errant press release in email. The actual figure for total smartphones shipped in the IDC report is 261M units. The 211M units figure is just the Android portion.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Pinch of salt

      "Usual Windows cheerleading from IDC. Best wait for more reliable real sales figures."

      Such as the November figures from Kantar?

      http://www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/News/Nokia-and-Windows-global-momentum-continues

  6. EPurpl3

    Humanity is going in the right direction.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Over it, stop the click baiting!

    Though there is one interesting fact left out of the story. I believe that Apple still collects around half of the PROFIT in the smartphone market. Apple does not seem interested in quantity sold as much as profit earned. Samsung gets the other half of the profit. Samsung clearly believes in quantity sold to get the job done. Looks like all the other Android makers are pretty much getting killed.

    Another thought; Microsoft is cleaning up with $10 or so earned on most every Android phone sold! May be the reason Samsung is pushing its Tizen OS, especially on lower cost devices for the "emerging" markets. Would be pretty funny if the company that really make Android go switched to another OS for most of its phones.

    1. jonathanb Silver badge

      Re: Over it, stop the click baiting!

      You can get a Samsung Galaxy Y on pay as you go from Carphone Warehouse for £30. That runs Android. I've no idea how well it does it, but at that price point, they are competing with dumb phones as well as feature phones.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Over it, stop the click baiting!

        Its shit. My wife had one as her first touchscreen phone and hated it, she went back to her Blackberry within the month. It was slow, the screen was awful and didn't feel "right" in the hand.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Over it, stop the click baiting!

        Yes you can indeed. Doesn't run apps well and is generally slow. But it's a 'smart' phone by the modern definition.

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Over it, stop the click baiting!

        Not a bad little phone at all.

        Sometimes need to reseat the SD card however.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Over it, stop the click baiting!

      @AC 21:07 - " Apple does not seem interested in quantity sold as much as profit earned."

      That's what we were all saying about Blackberry 3 years ago. The market share might decline, but the profits will keep rolling in because everyone "needs" their phones.

      Yeah, that really worked out well.

      1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

        Re: Over it, stop the click baiting!

        Blackberry were a 'one trick pony'. Apple aren't.

        Big difference.

  8. Michael 5

    I wish we were given reasonably accurate numbers and separation of "types". It seems to me that there is a subset of "smartphones" that actually live between what is a proper smartphone and what is classified as a feature phone.

    For example, if you take the Nokia S60 in its base design, it by no means matches the level of a HTC-One. The question is if you change out the OS for Android, does the OS itself qualify a phone to be a "smartphone" or are there other characteristics to be considered. I believe this is a long time debate that has never been answered and really should be answered to give proper weighting to the values that are given in the market.

    Unfortunately the post-pc era (or the world of mobile computing if you prefer) is bleeding so many lines of distinction that simplified numbers are no longer meaningful.

    1. Dan 55 Silver badge
      Trollface

      You mean it's not a real smartphone platform unless you can download apps that display an incomprehensible list of things called wakelocks so you can randomly uninstall other apps to try and fix battery drain?

      1. AMB-York Silver badge

        Smartphone definition

        Perhaps be better if we only included the phones where someone bothers to install something rather than just using the bundled apps? Smartphone with just the default stuff is no different from a feature phone.

      2. Spanners Silver badge

        :Dan55

        Not counting Workplace BBs, I am on my 3rd SmartPhone (all Android). I had never heard of a wakelock.

        A quick Google and browse tells me what it is but I don't think I will worry about them. There are loads of things that I could look into but I am fine without them.

        It's a SmartPhone if you have a general purpose computer inside your phone. The smartness of such devices varies. That is why Apple can truthfully sell its devices as such and there are plenty under £50 that are even feebler but a good phone - HTC, Nokia, Samsung or whatever may have more computing power than NASA had in 1969 when they put people on the moon. They certainly allow you to install confusing apps but it's not compulsory!

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Depressing

    I've tried 3 different Android phones. The Samsung and Sony were both great pieces of hardware, but the OS is frankly shite!

    The impression I get from Android is that it's been made to be just good enough to do the job, and then punted to the handset makers Arthur Daley fashion by Google, whispering in their shell likes how much money they can save, how expensive it would be to develop their own, how it would be "in their interests" etc... and we have to put up with the landfill garbage results.

    1. nijam Silver badge

      Re: Depressing

      My phone company has just dumped a new Nokia on me. Great hardware, shite OS. And full of MS spyware, of course. So much the same, really. I'm not convinced Google is any worse than MS or Apple.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Depressing

        Get rid of the Asha and get a Nokia Lumia - great OS - best option on the market right now - most secure and best performance with the most modern UI - no bloatware or spyware like Android - best maps / Nav and best microphones and camera - but more limited app support....

        1. Dan 55 Silver badge
          FAIL

          Re: Depressing

          You seem to have missed the bit where he said it was a Lumia (MS).

          I myself would prefer an Asha than WP.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Depressing

      Can you describe in what ways you felt the OS was shite?

      Something specific?

      1. NogginTheNog
        FAIL

        Re: Depressing

        "Can you describe in what ways you felt the OS was shite? Something specific?"

        The feel of it was somehow unpolished. It didn't run very smoothly (3 different phones, both Android 2.2 and 4). And it couldn't do the basics (for me): it failed miserably syncing my Exchange email mailboxes (something a Blackberry does flawlessly), the calendar was woeful, the battery life was awful (I realise this is also an iPhone problem). And the alarm couldn't even wake me up in the morning unless I left the phone switched ON overnight, which my mobile phones have been doing since heaven knows when!

        I'll say this for the iPhone, at least it feels very smooth and well integrated. I've yet to experience Windows Phone.

    3. Greg D

      Re: Depressing

      Maybe you get this using any computer interface? 'Droid is perfectly good enough for anyone with a brain. In fact they are all (Droid, Apple & WinPho) perfectly good enough for anyone with a brain. Even my girlfriend can use her frankly shite HTC running Droid. Maybe you're missing a brain?

  10. Mikel

    The two horse race is 94%

    That's "niche" for everybody else. Also: no money. There is no profit whatever in the rest.

    It would be possible to say Apple is falling behind here as well except gadzukes they are turning some huge and growing profits doing it. It's hard to call that an unsuccessful strategy. They're making hay while the sun shines. Also, they launched new phones and the holidays are upon us - both times when they traditionally do beyond well. The next report should have their registers ringing a merry tune.

    Above it all we all get a pair of robust, growing ecosystems delivering ever more innovation and service, driving price points to new lows at the same time. Real progress in tech is nothing short of amazing. My phone has the power of a laptop and as many pixels as a bigscreen TV. It knows what I need and want, and is ever Johnny-on-the-spot. What a great time to be in technology.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    windows phone growth

    It's the only thing worth talking about , as real numbers are shockingly bad.

    Back in the real world, it's a two horse race iOS and android, Microsoft are nowhere, and desperately using shipped numbers to try and convince the world that windows. Phone isn't dead already

  12. MrDamage Silver badge
    Trollface

    Spelling mistake

    "but Microsoft also makes significant income from its patent tRoll on Android"

    FTFY

  13. ReasonableGuy

    True costs would make a difference

    If the press would bother to report and compare the true costs of owning a smartphone -- the two year data plan -- then people would see that even a $100 or $200 cost differential up front, is not much compared to the overall cost.

    I had an Android phone for two years, a Motorola Droid 2 Global. Last December at contract renewal time I switched to an iPhone 5. No regrets. Much better battery life, more reliable service, no need to reboot the phone every day or two (which was a standard suggestion in the Android help system at the time).

    In another 13 months when my contract is up, I'll look around at the market and see what is new and interesting. But I don't think I'll want a bigger phone.

    I can't see having to have clown-pockets added to all my pants.

  14. Cru

    Haha, tablets...

    Tablets saturated the market. The cult of personality no longer has the personality. Big brother is an android and now he wants to be your clothing. What's next?

  15. Daniel Voyce

    Does this mean people will consider building Android apps first?

    I'm sure it's not just me, but companies STILL end up building iOS apps first with Android apps as an afterthought, often years down the line (Sky Go for example!). I understand the fragmentation issue but with 70-80% of the phone market and at least a majority in the tablet market (Results differ on Analyst sites) - and more importantly - rising. I know Android device users often fall into the cheapskate category - is this what drives those decisions? If you make Smartphone apps - what is your decision tree for choosing which platform to develop first?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Does this mean people will consider building Android apps first?

      This is the question that really matter the most IMO. Right now apple has built enough momentum and the right clientel that even without a majority of the smartphone userbase, they still get the most app revenue. For me as an app developer there is only one question to determine if I should release a new feature for android or iOS: which will increase my bottom line fastest. So far I sell more $5 apps with apple, so I start there first.

      I think this is going to shift sooner or later once android's user marketshare gets so big that the ios app marketshare of revenue will drop below 50%. At that moment, we will see developers start to code, fix, innovate on android before ios. This will of course become more of a feedback loop until some other constraint holds things up for apple.

      It is possible that apple can hang onto the 50% revenue marketshare, but not unless they stem the tide of userbase marketshare soon.

      Another point to mention is apple really makes developing a PITA at times which given they are the leaders at the moment of doling out app money allows them to do so. Once they see their margins fall, a little humility can go a long way to fixing those problems.

    2. RyokuMas
      Pirate

      Re: Does this mean people will consider building Android apps first?

      @Daniel Voyce: The problem is not just fragmentation - it's piracy.

      As you rightly state, fragmentation is still an issue, making Android the platform requiring the greatest investment of time to maintain an app on. At the same time, it also offers the lowest per-unit return: just google "android piracy rate" and you'll see estimates of between 80 and 90% of installations being pirate copies.

      I was taken aback by this myself: I've been developing games for Windows Phone over the last couple of years: this year I decided to try and port some of my titles to Android and iOS. Having done my research and finding these figures, plus the amount of fiddling about I had to do to try and ensure my Android version ran on as many handsets as possible, I found myself questioning the value of Android as a market.

      I'll probably still launch on Android, but I'm not going to be too fussed about maintaining/updating for that platform. At least, not until I know it'll give me a similar per-hour return on my work to iOS/WinPhone.

      1. Arthur 1

        Re: Does this mean people will consider building Android apps first?

        I don't think it's piracy or fragmentation. Fragmentation has a lot of API addressing it pretty decently, I think. Although in the limited segment of games piracy is an issue on Android, it's not really spread to other varieties of app, and it's mainly an issue only in certain foreign markets (Russia, China) where Apple doesn't sell at all, so you'd hardly be able to reach them any better on another platform.

        I think the problem is that Android is the easiest platform to develop for, ergo the marketplace is more competitive. Plus Google makes it very easy to go the free app + ads route. A lot of people doing the iOS thing move over to Android and get eaten alive because a free app that does the same comes around, on iOS that doesn't happen nearly as much.

        Also what was said before, TV and movies like to namedrop Apple exclusives rather than Android exclusives, there are still a large number of exclusives both ways. Especially where games are concerned. So the iOS types are unaware they're missing out on Principia or Apparatus, but Android owners are aware they're missing out on whatever the newest iOS exclusive is.

        1. Zot

          Re: Does this mean people will consider building Android apps first?

          According to Rovio (Angry Birds devs) they projected that it wasn't worth selling the Android version of their game because of piracy, so they filled it up with adverts and gave it away instead.

          Developers DO target Apple first, BECAUSE of the walled garden, they don't care if you don't like it, it's all about the money of course.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Does this mean people will consider building Android apps first?

      That's totally untrue. It's the media fault for telling you about the latest iOS app and then you go look for the android version. This will always be a sure fire way to fail.

      Principia for example is currently android only and I bet you never heard of it...

    4. Mikel
      Boffin

      Re: Does this mean people will consider building Android apps first?

      From 2007 to 2011 while they were ahead in share Apple accrued a huge installed base. While most of the earliest devices have been retired some iPhone 2 and 3 are still in use as hand-me-downs, and of course iPhone 4 is still on sale. Most people generally don't throw away a $700 device that has resale value and remains a great media and gaming handheld. Android devices have a shorter life cycle for a variety of reasons. It takes a while for growth of the market and gross quarterly sales to achieve a dominant installed base. We are just turning that corner now as web usage numbers are achieving parity.

      IPhone will still draw first developer interest for a while yet because premium device customers make premium app customers, and developer inertia. There is a definite cost to moving to a new unfamiliar platform, though that cost is less than finding a new popular idea.

      If the Android:iPhone sales ratio continues at 5:1 for another year none of that will matter any more. It turns into the Windows vs Mac uneven battle again. Then we get to have this discussion again in reverse.

    5. Daniel Voyce

      Re: Does this mean people will consider building Android apps first?

      All valid points, It's good to know the thought process behind this, and while I wasn't specifically asking after the "Companies who create and sell apps as standalone products" - It was more the "Companies who offer a mobile product alongside their main offering" - E.g. Sky Go, Netflix, Hulu etc, they all started out with iPhone only apps at the start and in some cases took years to offer anything on Android.

      I can see why Android would frustrate the hell out of App Developers, Being open obviously gives way to easier piracy, however Iphones are not immune to this, however the process of Jailbreaking a phone is much more involved than simply sideloading a ripped off APK.

      Then there is the 3rd Bracket, where companies build apps that are limited to specific devices where there is absolutely no reason for this. I guess its a marketing / brokered deal with them, Foxtel here in Australia has just released an Android version of Foxtel Go (Similar to Sky Go!) but have limited it to Samsung Galaxy devices - for absolutely no reason! I thought it might be because it was using TouchWiz for something - but nope! If I rename my phone in my build.prop it works - There is no need for that!

  16. csumpi
    Mushroom

    "one important factor behind their success: price"

    BS.

    Quality, features, and much better OS. I would not swap my S Note for an iPhone, even if the iPhone was free.

    1. Confuciousmobil

      Re: "one important factor behind their success: price"

      I think you got the wrong icon, surely you meant tho joke icon?

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "6 or 7 inch screens"

    Good god, are there really phablets with 7" screens now? When will the madness end?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "6 or 7 inch screens"

      Good god, are there really phablets with 7" screens now? When will the madness end?

      Yes there are ... but the real madness is that the article claims these are now 23% of new phones - I'm utterly staggered that its that high.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: "6 or 7 inch screens"

        " the real madness is that the article claims these are now 23% of new phones"

        Or have they just mistaken or misrepresented tablets with sim cards for phones?

  18. A Butler

    Lumia 520 and 620 getting the sales they deserve...

    Great to see the Lumia 520 & 620 getting the sales they deserve. 2 Great, fast, affordable smartphones that will do 80% if the tasks of an iPhone / S4 for 1/4 of the price.

    Apple missed a trick not having a low end mass market phone and Android OS needs a cleanup for the low end phones as its performance is dreadful on phones like the Galaxy Ace. Reports are saying the new version is a big improvement whether it will be available to compete with the Lumia's for christmas is another question.

    Interesting times and good for the consumer.

  19. Stefing

    "Growth"

    If you start from 1 and sell 2 more then you've got "amazing growth" - it's still not a good result.

    1. cambsukguy

      Re: "Growth"

      Yes, it is - If I sell one Power Station and then two more, it is fantastic news.

      If you meant 'phones of course then one is a stupid number, it is millions. If you sell millions you are selling enough to have development, marketing, support and encourage app development. There is probably even profit to be made.

      Luckily, WP looks good for the indefinite future, A Nokia 1020 makes the next two years no problem, Apple don't even have wireless charging, had that since I got a Lumia 920, a revelation hardly noticed because so many do not have it - when it does come to more 'phones, especially iPhones it will suddenly be must-have, amazing blah, blah, blah.

      So, go on about how Instacrap is not available or some meaningless drivel and I will charge wirelessly and having a working 'phone with loads of charge instead.

      And yes, I know S4s and Nexus have wireless charging too, good for them - good for me if more places have charging pads to top up when one is burning power mapping or videoing etc.

      1. Jess

        Luckily, WP looks good for the indefinite future

        At least until WP9 comes out and your WP8 phone can't be upgraded to it.

  20. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Yes but

    Will it stop Apple from showing us graphs of how good the iPhone is in their next keynote? You know the ones that curve upwards, have non-linear scales and are generally meaningless?

  21. Fihart

    love the bloody blackberry graphic

    Now wallpaper on my Blackberry.

  22. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    First fanboi to say "Landfill android" highlights their stupidity!

  23. Jess

    If Microsoft can recover after killing their market

    (and given their track record for dropping support for their non x86 platforms), why can't BlackBerry?

    At least their handsets aren't managed by systems subject to the Patriot act or whatever.

  24. Will 20

    How useful a statistic is it? Apple's eco-system isn't just hinged on physical device sales, for example, but also appstore & itunes sales. Also, what are the margins like, between a fruity device and a roboty one?

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