It’s no secret that Android and iOS, the operating systems from Google and Apple respectively, are the most widely used today. And this is the case all over the world and, moreover, the situation does not seem to change in a short time, quite the contrary, the truth.
According to analyst Trip Chowdhry of Global Equities Research, the situation will not only continue, but will be even more positive for these two companies. According to their predictions, it is likely that market control will reach the 98% by the end of this year. That is to say, the control would be total and, therefore, Apple and Google could be calm and only aim to steal a percentage from the rival (which is not little).
The reasons that led to this situation are varied, but the most important is that, whether by action or omission of third parties, to date the rest of the operating systems have not released anything to the market that can compensate Android and iOS. Some examples : blackberry stalled and, while waiting for version 10 which promises to be updated, All RIM does is lose market share since your operating system is outdated. The second example is Windows Phone. Microsoft’s development is not outdated…but it has some big flaws that should be fixed in Windows Phone 8…but, to date, the actions taken by those in Redmond have been slow and inefficient, which was noted in their low market acceptance. Of course, if there’s anyone who can champion capacity, money, and market relationships, it’s Microsoft. You still have to trust this giant.
The Apple vs Samsung war, a blessing
This may sound paradigmatic, but it is so. The impact it has had in the media and the penetration it has achieved among users is such that, regardless of the results of the verdicts, it has obtained very strong publicity for the operating systems used by the two manufacturers (it should not be forgotten that Samsung is the reference company when it comes to Android devices).
Therefore, litigation in court has provided an additional benefit which, unexpectedly, is still beneficial to Apple and Google. Moreover, each time a manufacturer of Android or iOS lodges a complaint, a bottle of champagne is uncorked in the marketing departments of these two companies.
It is also true that the way to gain market share on one’s own merits is very different in each of these companies. While Apple believes in a closed system that only its products include, which creates exclusivity and which is one of the great attractions of iOS, Google uses a system that is free for any company that wants to use Android, which is why it has been adopted by a large number of manufacturers: Samsung, HTC, LG, Huawei, ZTE, Sony…and the list is much longer. In other words, two ways of acting with a common result: control of the market.
Let’s hope that Microsoft with Windows Phone 8 breaks this duopoly, which can happen, because it creates a very interesting and efficient ecosystem (PCs, tablets and phones), because it would be beneficial for users and, in addition, it would give give much more life in the mobility sector. But, for now, two rules here: Apple and Google.