Samsung, HTC Make Gains on Apple in Booming Smartphone Field
Samsung Electronics Co. and HTC Corp. (HTJ) led the smartphone industry in sales growth last quarter, underscoring the rise of Google Inc. (GOOG)’s Android operating system as a leading challenger to Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s iPhone.
Samsung’s global sales rose more than fourfold to 10.8 million units, while HTC more than tripled to 8.9 million units, making them the fourth- and fifth-biggest sellers of smartphones, according to research firm IDC Corp. The overall market grew 80 percent to 99.6 million, IDC said.
The companies, the two biggest handset makers putting Android on their devices, outpaced the top three smartphone makers: Nokia Oyj (NOK1V), Apple and Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM), which rely on different software. While Nokia remained No. 1, it’s backing away from its current smartphone operating system in favor of Microsoft Corp. software. That’s clearing the way for a showdown between Apple’s iPhone and its Android rivals.
“The rise of Android as a prominent mobile operating system has allowed several suppliers to gain share quickly,” Kevin Restivo, an analyst with Framingham, Massachusetts-based IDC, said in a statement.
Nokia’s market share slipped to 24.3 percent, from 38.8 percent a year earlier. RIM, which makes the BlackBerry, fell to 14 percent from 19.1 percent. The iPhone fared the best among the top three. Sales of the device more than doubled to 18.7 million, vaulting Apple past RIM. The iPhone, which accounted for half of Apple’s $24.7 billion in sales last quarter, made up 18.7 percent of the overall market.
Google, based in Mountain View, California, gives away the Android software for free to boost revenue from services such as mobile advertising and expand the market for its search engine. In addition to Samsung and HTC, Motorola Mobility Holdings Corp. has embraced the operating system.
Another research report yesterday from Canalys found that Android accounted for 35 percent of global smartphone shipments, compared with 19 percent for Apple.
To contact the reporters on this story: Adam Satariano in San Francisco at asatariano1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Tom Giles at tgiles5@bloomberg.net
Rate this Page