Android maintained its position as the leading mobile operating system worldwide in the first quarter of 2025 with a market share of about 71.88 percent. Android's closest rival, Apple's iOS, had a market share of approximately 27.65 percent during the same period. The leading mobile operating systems Both unveiled in 2007, Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS have evolved through incremental updates introducing new features and capabilities. The latest version of iOS, iOS 18, was released in September 2024, while the most recent Android iteration, Android 15, was made available in September 2023. A key difference between the two systems concerns hardware - iOS is only available on Apple devices, whereas Android ships with devices from a range of manufacturers such as Samsung, Google and OnePlus. In addition, Apple has had far greater success in bringing its users up to date. As of February 2024, 66 percent of iOS users had iOS 17 installed, while in the same month only 13 percent of Android users ran the latest version. The rise of the smartphone From around 2010, the touchscreen smartphone revolution had a major impact on sales of basic feature phones, as the sales of smartphones increased from 139 million units in 2008 to 1.39 billion units in 2023. In 2020, smartphone sales decreased to 1.38 billion units due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Apple, Samsung, and lately also Xiaomi, were the big winners in this shift towards smartphones, with BlackBerry and Nokia among those unable to capitalize.

As of March 2024, Samsung's market share of smartphones in South Korea amounted to over 66 percent, higher than in any other country or territory in the Asia-Pacific region. In comparison, Samsung's market share of smartphones in China was the lowest in the region during that year. Samsung Electronics Samsung Electronics is a subsidiary of Samsung Group headquartered in Suwon, South Korea. Despite taking a hit in 2019, global revenues of Samsung Electronics have grown steadily in the last years. Around half of company’s revenues come from Asia, with China and South Korea being the largest markets. Market situation in Asia-Pacific The Asia-Pacific region presents a promising future for smartphone companies willing to penetrate the market as mobile adoption rates are on the rise. In APAC countries, smartphones are also reported to be primary means of accessing the internet. When it comes to the direct competitors in the region, Apple has the leading smartphone market share in countries like Australia and Vietnam, whereas Oppo and Xiaomi are market leaders in Indonesia and India respectively.

The statistic shows the market share of the Android operating system of smartphone sales worldwide from 2011 to 2018. In the fourth quarter of 2018, Android's market share was 84.2 percent.

Android OS - additional information

In 2003, when the smartphone market was still in its early development stages, Android. Inc. was founded in Palo Alto, California, with the initial intention of creating an operating system for digital cameras. Two years later, the company was acquired by Google, confirming rumors of the tech giant’s plans to enter the mobile phone market. The first Android operating system was introduced in 2007, with the goal to compete with the then-leading smartphone operating system Symbian. Android accomplished this goal by 2011, when it became the leader of the global smartphone OS market, with about 47 percent of the share, while Symbian fell to third place and was pushed out of the market by 2013.

As Symbian faded out of the market, Apple became Android’s main competitor on the mobile operating system market. However, Android has been the main player in the market since 2012, and is forecast to maintain this leadership in the coming years. In the first quarter of 2016, about 84 percent of smartphones sold to end users used Android as its operating system. Android is expected to maintain its smartphone market share of about 85 percent up to 2020, while Apple’s iOS is projected to account for 15 percent. One of the main reasons for Android’s popularity is its strong collaboration with smartphone manufacturers, such as Sony, Samsung and HTC, while the iOS is limited to operating on Apple devices.

Upon its success in the smartphone market, Android has expanded its operating system to tablets. Android had a slow start in this market, mainly due to the lack of quality applications for Android tablets. However, Android managed to overcome this issue and establish itself as the leading tablet operating system in 2012. Android is now the most used operating system for tablets worldwide, with a 67 percent share of the global market in 2015.

In 2023, Android held a nearly 80 percent share of the global smartphone OS market. Android's smartphone sales has been decreasing gradually since 2019, when it held a staggering 87 percent of the market, due to Apple's smartphones' increasing share.

Why is Google’s Android OS dominating the market? One reason for Android’s large market share is that it is an open-source platform, allowing mobile phone manufacturers to use and adapt the operating system for their own devices. Samsung, who run their own customized version of the Android operating system, currently have the largest share of global smartphone sales by vendor. In contrast, Apple’s iOS software is a closed-source platform, meaning they can control the user experience and make it available exclusively on their mobile devices, including the iPhone and iPad. This model has also proved profitable: Apple generated 69.7 billion U.S. dollars in revenue from iPhone sales alone in the first quarter of 2024.

Changing trends in mobile OS market Android and iOS are the leading mobile operating systems today, but back in 2009 the market was much different with Symbian and RIM (Research In Motion) holding close to 70 percent of the sales market share. Symbian operated on Nokia, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson devices, while RIM only functioned on BlackBerry smartphones. Both developers were slow to anticipate the changes within the mobile operating systems’ market and were ultimately left behind by the innovative approach of Apple and Google.

Android was the unquestioned leader of the mobile operating system (mobile OS) market in 2018, with 88 percent of all devices sold running the Android system.

Mobile OS ecosystem

Smartphone operating systems, often referred to as smartphone OS, are operating systems that operate smartphones, PDAs, tablets and other mobile devices. An operating system allows these devices to run applications and programs, therefore, bringing advanced functions to mobile devices that were previously restricted to desktop computers.

The now-discontinued OS Symbian was the first popular smartphone operating system in the world. With the launch of Ericsson‘s R380 in 2000, Symbian became the first modern mobile OS on a smartphone. By 2009, Symbian accounted for nearly half of the global smartphone operating systems market, while RIM/Blackberry, also a pioneer in this market, held around 20 percent of the share. Despite the early start, both Symbian and RIM have been almost driven out of the market as new operating systems were released. Apple introduced its first iPhone model to the consumer market in 2007, revolutionizing the market. Prior to the launch of Apple’s iPhone in 2007, smartphones were a rather niche product and had not yet attained mass appeal.

As of 2020, Apple's iPhone held the third largest smartphone market share. Since 2011, Apple’s iOS market share has varied between 14 and 21 percent.

The statistic shows share of smartphone shipments worldwide by operating system from 2009 to 2017. In 2017, 85.9 percent of all smartphones sold had Android as its operating system.

Smartphone operating systems market - additional information

The operating system, also known as an OS, transmits user commands to all other programs and applications. It also controls the peripheral devices, such as printers or cameras. A mobile OS operates on hand-held devices, such as mobile phones, smartphones, tablets or smart watches. While OS themselves are usually available for free and are already installed on the device, the additional programs and apps are tailored specifically for each system.

As of 2014, the main players on the smartphone OS market are Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS. Other smartphone operating systems on the market include Microsoft’s Windows Phone and Blackberry’s RIM to a lesser extent. Symbian, which was used extensively on mobile phones and early generations of smartphones by leading manufacturers, such as Samsung, LG, Motorola and most notably Nokia, was a dominant player on the market in 2009 and 2010. Due to the growing popularity of Android, which most major smartphone manufacturers adopted as their OS of choice, and Nokia’s partnership with Windows Phone, which began in 2011, Symbian was effectively pushed off the market in 2014.

Google’s Android leads the global market with an 80 percent market share, while Apple’s iOS is second, with 15 percent. There are stark differences between regional markets; in the United States for example, the market is almost equally divided between Android and iOS.

In 2022, Android dominated the smartphone operating system (OS) shipment market throughout the world, with 75.9 percent of the total market. The Apple operating system, known as iOS, makes up a significantly smaller portion of the total shipment market with only 24.1 percent. However, these are the only two competitors that are anticipated to have a share of the market in the coming years.

Microsoft’s Windows is the most widely used computer operating system in the world, accounting for 69 percent share of the desktop, tablet, and console OS market in March 2025. Apple’s macOS ranks as the next most widely used operating system, while its iOS mobile operating system, the standard installation on all iPad devices, ranks fourth. Linux OS versions serve as the primary option for users who prefer open-source software and intend to avoid the influence of major OS developers. Operating Systems Operating systems serve as the underlying platforms which connect computer hardware and software. They provide users with the graphical interface through which they issue commands and perform tasks on electronic devices. Billions of people make use of these devices and their operating systems on a regular basis, meaning that the companies that develop these widely used technologies have a great deal of influence on the daily lives of internet users around the world. Although Microsoft Windows is the clear leader in terms of desktop operating systems, the company’s mobile device operating system failed to make a successful transition into the smartphone market, where Android and iOS are essentially the only two options.

Smartphones running the Android operating system hold an 87 percent share of the global market in 2019 and this is expected to increase over the forthcoming years. The mobile operating system developed by Apple (iOS) has a 13 percent share of the market.

How Android became the market leader Android’s global success can in many ways be attributed to its open-source software that can be installed on all smartphone devices for free. Developed by Google, the open code provides manufacturers the freedom to choose which apps are pre-installed on their devices, and they can customize layouts to create unique experiences for users. The first commercial version of the Android software was released in 2008 and its rise to market leader was almost instant. The platform held a four percent share of the global operating systems’ market in 2009, but this figure increased by around 20 percent each year for the next three years.

The global smartphone market Annual sales of smartphones have increased to around 1.56 billion units worldwide. They are now available to everyone and not just those with wealth. The cost of buying a smartphone has continued to fall each year, with the global average price now being around 215 U.S. dollars. Fierce competition within the smartphone market could be one reason why prices are falling. Samsung (South Korea) and Apple (U.S.) have historically held large shares of global smartphone production, but Chinese brands Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo are now offering alternative devices that are proving popular worldwide.

Apple's iOS continues to hold the largest share of the smartphone operating systems market in the United States, claiming more than half of the market as of March 2024. Apple's share of the U.S. market has risen steadily since early 2012, when it accounted for around 30 percent. This growth is not reflected in all markets, however, with Apple's global share remaining stable year-on-year. Apple growing at home Under CEO Tim Cook, Apple has continued to follow a stunning growth trajectory. Apple became the first U.S. company with a market capitalization exceeding two trillion dollars, just two years on from becoming the first trillion-dollar company. The iPhone, responsible for much of the company’s growth, has cemented its status as the smartphone of choice for many Americans during recent quarters. Google's Android operating system is a close competitor in the U.S. OS market, accounting for around 47 percent of the market as of March 2024. However, Apple commands a far wider lead in the U.S. smartphone manufacturer market, with the Android user base split between various vendors such as Samsung and Motorola. Apple’s popularity across markets Apple has seen success with the iPhone in developed markets across the globe. iPhones accounted for four of the five most-sold handsets in the United Kingdom as of January 2024, and four of the leading five in Germany. Yet, the high price of Apple devices puts Apple at a disadvantage outside of wealthier markets. In Africa, iOS accounted for around 13 percent of the mobile OS market in November 2023, while Android dominated with an 85 percent share.

As of 2023, for the first time ever, Apple ranked as the market leader in the global smartphone market with a 20.1 percent share of all shipments. The tech giant retained the top title in 2024, with a share of nearly 19 percent of the global smartphone market. Samsung ranked second, holding 18 percent of the market share. Global smartphone market shareSamsung has seen its popularity steadily increase since it held just a 4.3 percent of the smartphone vendor market at the beginning of 2010. Samsung’s share of the overall mobile phone market, has fluctuated in recent times, dropping to under 20 percent in the most recent year. Apple became smartphone market leader based on shipments in 2023. Apple’s smartphone sales are relatively cyclical and peak in the fourth quarter each year. In the fourth quarter of 2024, 23 percent of all smartphones new smartphones sold were iPhones. The iPhone generated considerable revenue for Apple with sales of the device amounting to over 200 billion U.S. dollars in their 2024 financial year.

Apple’s iOS mobile operating system held around 23.2 percent of the global smartphone market share in the fourth quarter of 2024, an increase from the previous quarter but a marginal decrease from the same quarter in the previous year. This is consistent with Apple's distribution pattern in recent years, claiming a strong share of the market during the fourth quarter of the year and shipping devices at a slower rate throughout the remainder of the year.

Google is not only popular in its home country but is also the dominant internet search provider in many major online markets, frequently generating almost 80 percent of desktop search traffic. The search engine giant has a market share of over 90 percent in India and accounted for the majority of the global search engine market, ahead of other competitors such as Yahoo, Bing, Yandex, and Baidu. Google’s online dominance All roads lead to Rome, or if you are browsing the internet, all roads lead to Google. It is hard to imagine an online experience without the online behemoth, as the company offers a wide range of online products and services that all seamlessly integrate with each other. Google search and advertising are the core products of the company, accounting for the vast majority of the company revenues. When adding this up with the Chrome browser, Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube, Google’s ownership of the Android mobile operating system, and various other consumer and enterprise services, Google is basically a one-stop shop for online needs. Google anti-trust rulings However, Google’s dominance of the search market is not always welcome and is keenly watched by authorities and industry watchdogs – since 2017, the EU commission has fined Google over 8 billion euros in antitrust fines for abusing its monopoly in online advertising. In March 2019, European Commission found that Google violated antitrust regulations by imposing contractual restrictions on third-party websites in order to make them less competitive and fined the company 1.7 billion euros.

The statistic shows the share of mobile phone sales worldwide to end users by vendor from 1997 to 2014. In 2014, Samsung held a market share of 20.9 percent of mobile phone sales worldwide.

Mobile phone market share - additional information

With a market share of about 21 percent, Samsung is the leading mobile phone vendor worldwide. Samsung has held the top position since 2012 when the South Korean company passed Nokia, Samsung’s closest competitor at the time. Nokia has seen its mobile phone market share fall from nearly 40 percent in 2008 to almost ten percent in 2014, dropping to third place in terms of market share in the beginning of 2015. The second largest mobile phone vendor in the world is Apple, with a share of around ten percent.

Samsung is especially known for some of its consumer products such as mobile devices and home entertainment systems. In the third quarter of 2015, the South Korean company sold over 100 million mobile phones. Samsung also leads the smartphone market; the company accounts for 42.7 percent of all smartphone shipments worldwide, with 306 million unitsin 2016 alone. The success in the mobile market is reflected in the company’s global revenue.

Apple has taken over the position of second largest mobile phone vendor in the world due to Nokia's decline, and the increasing popularity of smartphones. The company shipped just over 215 million smartphones in 2016. The iPhone is Apple's main product, and generates more than 60 percent of the company's revenue.

As of September 2024, Android held a share of over 87 percent of the mobile operating system market in Indonesia. Over the past decade, Google has kept its leading market position. Mobile phone market in IndonesiaIndonesia booked as one of the fastest growth of the global top-ten smartphone markets worldwide. While ranked as the fourth-largest market in the world, Indonesia offers potential for growth because of a young population and increasing mobile internet penetration. Additionally, stabilization of the Indonesian rupiah against the U.S. dollar strengthened overseas vendors' investment confidence in the country. Major mobile phone brandsSmartphone giants Oppo, Samsung, and Xiaomi dominate the current market. Both Oppo and Samsung retain the largest market share, at over 35 percent combined. While these brands continuously offer a diverse range of smartphone models with advanced technologies, the adoption of 5G devices lags behind 4G due to limited 5G connectivity in the country. This may lead to cautious approach on 5G investments, but it is expected that 5G phone adoption will slowly increase along with the infrastructure development.

In March 2025, the Android smartphone operating system had a market share of over 77 percent in China. In contrast, its biggest rival, the Apple iOS had a market share of around 22 percent. The Chinese smartphone market is dominated by domestic brands which operate on the Android operating system. The domestic smartphone industry Domestic brands dominate the Chinese smartphone market, making it difficult for foreign manufacturers. While Samsung and Apple are the global industry leaders, only the iPhone can assert its market position as an overseas product in China. The remainder of the market is occupied by Xiaomi, Huawei, Honor, Viva, and Oppo. A truly domestic operating system in the making Despite a large Chinese smartphone industry, domestic manufacturers have not developed a stand-alone mobile operating system — yet. Although all leading brands have developed their proprietary OS, they are still based on the Android system. However, Huawei with its HarmonyOS is the only company that is the closest to a truly independent software. Despite being originally developed on Android, Huawei plans to remove all android code from the microkernel in its Q4 2024 software release.

As of the first quarter of 2024, Samsung was the leading smartphone vendor, holding 20 percent of the market. Apple followed closely occupying 17 percent of the global smartphone market. Other vendors had lower shares.

In January 2025, Google accounted for 93.82 percent of the global mobile search engine market worldwide. Yandex had 2.5 percent of the global mobile search, while, competitors like Baidu and Yahoo! accounted for less than one percent each on a global scale.

In the second quarter of 2024, Apple iOS was one of the main mobile operating systems in Italy. In that quarter, iOS 17.4 was the most popular version of the operating system, occupying over 42 percent of the mobile OS market in the country.  Apple and Samsung at the top of the Italian smartphone market As one of the main segments of the consumer electronics industry in Italy, the smartphone market was forecast to generate a revenue of just under ten billion U.S. dollars in 2024. Apple and Samsung are the leaders of the Italian smartphone market, controlling almost 32 and 30 percent of the market in 2023, respectively. Meanwhile, other vendors have been acquiring larger shares of the industry, including Huawei and Oppo, catering to the needs of an ever-growing number of smartphone users.

Android is the leading mobile OS What makes our smartphones so fast, advanced, and powerful? Their operating systems, namely, the software on which the devices rely that allow users to perform all sorts of actions, including navigating the web and listening to music. Over the decades, Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS have established themselves as the leading mobile operating systems worldwide. Android being an open-source platform, many smartphone vendors have adopted it as their operating system, whereas iOS only works on Apple iPhones. As a result, Android holds a much larger share of the global mobile OS market, over 70 percent, leaving iOS far behind.

As of September 2024, Oppo led the mobile vendor market in Indonesia, with a share of around 17 percent. It was followed by Samsung with a share of about 16.4 percent. Collectively, Oppo, Samsung, and Xiaomi accounted for nearly half of the mobile market share in the country. Oppo's rising dominance Oppo’s market share in Indonesia has risen significantly over the past years. The brand's relatively affordable prices have been one of the key drivers of its growth in the country, as Indonesian consumers tend to look for value for their money, searching for smartphones that are reasonably priced with good performance. In 2023, Oppo managed to tail Samsung in terms of the market share of unit shipments, indicating strong competition in the rapidly evolving Indonesian smartphone market. Smartphone usage and the telecommunications market With a substantial number of mobile internet users, Indonesia’s telecommunications market is one of the largest in Southeast Asia. Smartphones in Indonesia are used for various activities that require reliable network capabilities, such as video streaming and online gaming. While users have reported positive experience with 5G networks for these activities, the development of 5G infrastructure in Indonesia is still faced with challenges, including high costs and spectrum shortages. This has led to significantly slower 5G network growth compared to Indonesia’s neighboring countries, such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.