Android maintained its position as the leading mobile operating system worldwide in the first quarter of 2025 with a market share of about ***** percent. Android's closest rival, Apple's iOS, had a market share of approximately ***** 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, ** percent of iOS users had iOS 17 installed, while in the same month only ** 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 *** million units in 2008 to **** billion units in 2023. In 2020, smartphone sales decreased to **** 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.

In 2023, Android held a nearly ** percent share of the global smartphone OS market. Android's smartphone sales has been decreasing gradually since 2019, when it held a staggering ** 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 ** 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.

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 **** 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 ** 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 ** percent of smartphones sold to end users used Android as its operating system. Android is expected to maintain its smartphone market share of about ** percent up to 2020, while Apple’s iOS is projected to account for ** 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 ** percent share of the global market in 2015.

In March 2024, devices running on ** version of the Android OS accounted for nearly ** percent of all web traffic generated by Android OS devices in Mexico, making the version the most popular in the country. It was followed by the ** version of Android OS, totaling a market share worth over ** percent.

Apple's iOS continues to hold the largest share of the smartphone operating systems market in the United States, claiming more than **** of the market in 2024. Apple's share of the U.S. market has remained stable since 2018, when it accounted for around ** percent. This is reflected in all markets, 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 ** percent of the market as of **********. 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 **** of the **** most-sold handsets in the United Kingdom as of ************, 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 ** percent of the mobile OS market in *************, while Android dominated with an ** percent share.

As of August 2024, the Android 14 operating system (OS) dominated the Android space over the Android 13 and 12 versions, holding a share of over ** percent of all mobile Android devices in the United States. Android 13 held around ** percent and Android 12 ranked third with approximately ** percent market share.

In January 2025, Android 14 held the top spot with a market share of just around ** percent, followed by Android 13 at nearly ** percent, and Android 12 with about ** percent. The newly released Android 15 accounted for just above ***** percent. Android dominates the global market Released in 2007, Android’s adaptability and versatility quickly attracted the support of major smartphone manufacturers like Sony, Samsung, and HTC, who designed phones specifically for the Android system. This strategic alliance and competitive pricing propelled Android to become the most used smartphone operating system since 2011. By 2023, it dominated over ** percent of the entire mobile OS market worldwide, outpacing its biggest competitor, Apple. In addition to its global dominance, Android led the European mobile OS market in 2023 with a share of nearly ** percent. Android Apps and the Google Play Store The world’s largest app store, the Google Play Store, bolsters the popularity of Android devices, which boasted nearly *** million apps ready for download as of *********. During this time, the most downloaded Android apps were Meta’s Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. Meanwhile, the streaming services apps Disney+ and HBO Max were the top revenue-generating Android apps, raking in over ** million and ** million U.S. dollars, respectively, in *********.

Between 2017 and 2024, Android has been the leading mobile operating system in Italy, followed by Apple. In the fourth quarter of 2024, Android occupied around ** percent of the Italian mobile OS market.

In the first quarter of 2024, smartphones running on version **** version of the Android OS accounted for ***** percent of all web traffic generated by Android OS smartphones in South America, making the version the most popular in the region. Globally, the same version ranked first in ***********, with a share of approximately ***** percent.

Android was the unquestioned leader of the mobile operating system (mobile OS) market in 2018, with ** 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 ** 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 ** and ** percent.

As of June 2024, iOS had around **** percent of the market share of mobile operating systems in the United Kingdom (UK), while Android led with roughly ** percent of the market.The penetration rate of smartphones and the number of smartphone users has been growing for quite some time, and Apple and Android have been dominating the smartphone market since the beginning. However, the smartphone penetration growth rate has been in decline the past few years.It seems most consumer purchase a new smartphone because their old device is out of date. In this case, it would depend on how often the smartphone manufacturers bring out with a new model to figure out how often consumer may purchase a new smartphone.

Since overtaking iOS in 2013 to become Europe’s most popular mobile operating system, Android has managed to increase its share of the market in each of the following years. As of 2023, Android was the operating system for about ** percent of European mobile phones. OS market share reflects diversity of android devices The Android operating system has a distinct advantage in terms of gaining market share, purely based on the number of manufacturers creating devices that run on Android. iOS, on the other hand, is only used by Apple devices. Looking at the market share held by individual devices gives a clearer impression of the state of play between the major manufacturers. In the second quarter of 2018, the combined European market share of Apple devices stood at ** percent, while the Android's market share was ** percent. Market shares in the United Kingdom   The market share iOS holds in the United Kingdom is higher than at the European level, sitting at ***** percent. Apple devices were the two most popular devices sold in the United Kingdom during April 2021, with the iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max making up a combined ** percent of smartphones sold during that month.

Google's Android and Apple's iOS are the major competitors in the mobile operating system market in North America. In November 2024, Android accounted for about 56 percent of the mobile OS market, while iOS accounted for around 44 percent. Just 0.2 percent of North American users were running a system other than Android or iOS

The statistic shows share of smartphone shipments worldwide by operating system from 2009 to 2017. In 2017, **** 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 ** percent market share, while Apple’s iOS is second, with ** percent. There are stark differences between regional markets; in the United States for example, the market is almost equally divided between Android and iOS.

This statistic shows the market share held by the leading smartphone operating systems in Mexico from 2013 to 2018, by month. In December 2018, the Android operating system had a market share of **** percent in Mexico.

Smartphone OS market share in Mexico - additional information

The Android Operating System has seen its market share steadily rise in Mexico throughout, with the company finishing 2016 controlling over ** percent of the market. These figures are consistent with recent worldwide trends in which Android has asserted its dominance in the market. The Google-backed company is predicted to hold almost ** percent share of the global smartphone market by 2016, in stark contrast to the *** percent share it had in 2009.

Despite the fact that Blackberry has struggled in the global markets in recent years, it has persisted in the Mexican market with less than one percent of the market since the beginning of 2016. In contrast, Apple’s iOS has achieved limited success in Mexico in comparison to its popularity in the rest of the world. At the end of 2016, the Apple operating system held *** percent of the market share in Mexico, which is significantly lower than the **** percent market share it enjoyed globally.

The mobile phone industry in general has grown in Mexico since 2009. An estimated 70 percent of the population, are forecast to use a mobile phone by 2017, this is the equivalent of around 86 million people. Of these mobile users in Mexico, **** percent are predicted to own a smartphone by 2017, in comparison to just **** percent of all mobile users in 2013. This means that **** million people are expected to be smartphone users in Mexico by 2017.

In 2023, Android held a share of ***** percent of the mobile operating system market in India. This was followed by Apple's iOS, a distant second, with **** percent market share. Android went from just above ** percent in 2012 to more than ** percent within four years. Mobile operating systems in India Android gained its dominant position in the mobile operating system market in India since 2015 when it first reached more than ** percent of the market share. The Indian OS market has seen a rapid transformation since the beginning of 2012 when Symbian held over ** percent of the market. In the following few years, the operating system, which was used in most Nokia smartphones, has seen its market share fall to nothing. Android’s dominance in the Indian smartphone industry is echoed in the global market where the operating system held over ** percent of the smartphone market at the end of 2023. In the United States, however, more than half of the smartphone users had an iPhone as of March 2024. Android’s closest rival in the global operating system market is Apple’s iOS, which held over ** percent of the market share of smartphone shipments as of the fourth quarter of 2023. However, as yet, Apple has not broken into the Indian market, although its market share has grown steadily since the start of 2012, it still remained just below *****percent.

As of March 2024, Android operating systems for smartphones held a market share of 53.4 percent in Australia. Android has consistently been the leading mobile phone operating system in the country, however, iOS has been increasing its market share over the past decade. Smartphone OS market share in Australia Smartphones become increasingly more advanced in their technological capabilities and have connectivity. This has allowed users to stream media, make digital payments, and surf the internet almost anywhere in the world. The mobile phone internet user penetration will reach almost three quarters of the population of Australia in 2021. The vast majority of people in Australia already have a mobile phone, with the number looking likely to continue increasing. The smartphone industry is also on the increase globally with over 78 percent of the world’s population due to own a smartphone by 2020. The dominance of the Android operating system on the global smartphone market can be seen in the Australian market. It's biggest competition has been Apple's iOS. The fierce competition between the two smartphone operating systems has intensified over the years, with iOS accounting for a significantly larger market share recently.

Smartphones running the Android operating system hold an ** 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 ** 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 **** percent share of the global operating systems’ market in 2009, but this figure increased by around ** percent each year for the next three years.

The global smartphone market Annual sales of smartphones have increased to around **** 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 *** 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.

In May 2025, the Android smartphone operating system had a market share of over ** percent in China. In contrast, its biggest rival, the Apple iOS had a market share of around ** 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.

In 2022, Android dominated the smartphone operating system (OS) shipment market throughout the world, with **** 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 **** percent. However, these are the only two competitors that are anticipated to have a share of the market in the coming years.