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.

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.

Between February 2016 and October 2024, the market share of Apple’s mobile operating system iOS has fluctuated. This is part of a larger trend: iOS’ market share has been in decline since 2012, when it peaked at 45 percent before Android took over. Apple’s main competitor In terms of the number of devices, Android was the undisputed market leader: its market share grew steadily in Italy, reaching almost 75 percent in 2019. However, Apple ruled in terms of app sales: its revenues from global app sales were almost twice as large as those of Android. On the Apple App Store, around 58.6 thousand apps cost less than a U.S. dollar. Android’s predominance Android’s predominance in the country was closely tied to the prevalence of Samsung and Huawei smartphones in Italy. Since Google decided to terminate Huawei’s Android license in May 2019, Huawei announced the launch of its operating system, Harmony. The open-source version of Android, however, will still be available for Huawei smartphone users. Being unlikely that the new operating system will take off outside of China, Android seems well-positioned to continue to lead the Italian market.

Android was the leading mobile operating system (OS) in the United Kingdom in 2024 with a market share of around ** percent. Apple's iOS was a close second at around **** percent, having been the market leader in 2023. As with many other markets across the globe, no other mobile operating system has come close to challenging either iOS or Android in recent years.

Apple claimed a **** percent share of the market in the second quarter of 2024, an increase from the previous quarter. Apple's long time competitor, Samsung, ranked first with a market share of **** percent. Apple and Samsung continue to dominate the smartphone market Apple has been among the top-five smartphone vendors in the world since 2009. With the decline of former market leaders Nokia and RIM, Apple and Samsung were able to grow their presence in the market. As a result of political pressure, tariffs and restrictions imposed by the U.S, Chinese manufacturer Huawei has recently dropped off of the top five list in the smartphone market, while Xiaomi, Oppo, and Transsion have gained ground. Coronavirus (COVD-19) pandemic impact on iPhone sales While the long-term impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on sale is difficult to determine, the immediate impact was quickly visible. While large quarterly fluctuations are normal for Apple’s revenue cycle, one must look back to 2017 to find two consecutive quarters in which Apple generated less than ** billion U.S. dollars in revenue from the iPhone. A less strong performance in the first quarter of 2024, lead by the iPhone 16, gave Apple the ****** spot in terms of quarterly global unit shipments after Samsung, although strong sales in the fourth quarter of every year is a common occurrence with Apple products.

As of September 2024, the Apple iOS 17 operating system version had a share of nearly ** percent among all mobile Apple devices in the United States, with the iOS 16 version occupying only nine percent of the Apple mobile market. Overall, this graph indicates that most iPhone users in the United States usually update their firmware version within one or two months of the release of a major iOS version.

In the second quarter of 2024, Apple iOS was one of the main mobile operating systems in Italy. In that quarter, iOS **** was the most popular version of the operating system, occupying over ** 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 ** and ** 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 ** percent, leaving iOS far behind.

Android has consistently achieved a much higher market share than iOS in Germany, with around ** percent in June 2024, compared to around **** percent for iOS. Individually, figures have fluctuated during the observed time period for both OS. Android and iOS market leaders in Europe Android and iOS are the ******* mobile OS among European users, though other systems are used as well, such as Blackberry or Windows Phone. Recent figures confirm that a third of smartphone users are very unlikely to change brands once they have found their winner. Typically, a consumer will put in some time and effort researching smartphones before buying one, and once purchased, if satisfied, they will stick with their choice, keeping tabs on the next model. There are various reasons for ********* current domination of the mobile OS market, the more obvious ones being pricing, app selection, as well as variety and accessibility. On the phone The number of smartphone users in Germany has grown explosively during the last ten years. Back in 2009, *** million users were recorded. Fast forward to 2021 and there were **** million. Currently, ** percent of German households own a smartphone, making it the most owned electronic device in the country. In fact, household smartphone ownership eclipses TVs and laptops, as well as headphones.

Apple's mobile operating system, iOS, led in the ranking of mobile operating systems in Sweden by market share. Apple accounted for nearly 60 percent of the total market share, whereas Android followed with around 40 percent. All other mobile operating systems each had a share of less than one percent. Sweden’s leading operating system in general, however, is Windows with a minimal lead with its 34.55 percent market share over iOS which is ranked second, with 28.17 percent. What operating systems Swedes use?     Swedish mobile users of different ages were asked what operating system their main phone had in 2017. The younger representatives, aged between 18 and 34, tended to be more keen on iOS. In contrast, people in all age groups over 35, preferred Android that year. Operational systems in Europe The market shares of mobile operating systems varied significantly between 2010 and 2020. iOS led in the ranking in 2010, followed by Blackberry, while Android and Windows Phone had less than ten percent each that year. However, Android’s market share increased drastically between 2010 and 2014, and has been having the highest market share among the mobile operating systems in Europe from 2013 onwards.

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.

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

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.

The iOS operating system has had rather volatile sales in Spain over the observed period. In April 2023, iOS peaked its market share since 2016 at 23.7 percent, then slightly dropped in the most recent month, accounting for 18.7 percent of the Spanish smartphone market in June 2024. Most preferred smartphones Over the last five years, Android has never had a market share below 75 percent in Spain. Thus, it comes as no surprise that in 2024, the preferred smartphone brands in Spain had an Android operating system. Moreover, Xiaomi was the leading mobile phone vendor in Spain, with a market share of nearly 29 percent.. Smartphone usage Over the years, smartphones have become more than just personal communication devices. The increasing number of smartphone brands, as well as the variety of smartphone applications, make these devices almost indispensable in our daily activities. As of December 2023, the most used smartphone apps in Spain were internet browsers, e-mail services, and social media apps.

As of April 2024, Apple's iOS ranked first in Norway by mobile operating system market share, with a market share of nearly ** percent, while Google's Android was ranked second with approximately ** percent.

As of December 2024, the latest version of Apple's iOS, version **, was installed on **** percent of iPads worldwide, while almost ** percent were running the older iOS 17.

In October 2024, Android concentrated over ** percent of the mobile operating system market in Brazil. Apple's iOS held a share of nearly ** percent and was the only other system with a share larger than *** percent at that point in time. In 2019, Brazil was among the largest economies worldwide with an iOS adoption rate below ** percent, alongside India and Spain. A land of Androids In a country where more than three out of five consumers say they could not live without their smartphones, the mobile industry finds both a source of solid demand and a still expanding market. The preference for Android also helps to explain why the increasing penetration rate of cellphones manufactured in China. Beijing-based Xiaomi, for instance, accounted for less than two percent of the smartphone market in Brazil in February 2019. Exactly two years later, its share in that South American nation surpassed **** percent. A costly Apple Pricing is one of the reasons behind iOS’s limited popularity in Brazil. The average price of a newly released iPhone model in that country nearly doubled between 2016 and 2019, with iPhone XS’s surpassing ***** U.S. dollars in 2019. Meanwhile, in the first quarter of 2020, devices priced below ***** Brazilian reals accounted for almost two-thirds of the smartphone sales in Brazil. At March 31, 2020 exchange rates, that was equivalent to about *** dollars.

In July 2024, the total market share of Apple's iOS mobile operating system in the United Kingdom (UK) reached roughly ** percent, a slight decrease compared to the same month in the previous year. Apple's kingdom With ** Apple stores In the United Kingdom, Apple remains undisputed in the smartphone and tablet computer markets. Indeed, in 2023, Apple’s iOS accounted for nearly **** of both the mobile and tablet operating system market share. Only in the PC market, it is second to its competitor Windows, which recorded a market share of over ** percent. In addition to iPhones, iPads, and Macs, other electronics consumer goods are part of Apple’s kingdom, such as Apple headphones, smartwatch (Apple Watch), and smart speakers (Apple HomePod). The same can be said about Apple’s AppStore, which offered over 1.64 million apps as of the third quarter of 2022. Smartphones in the UK 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. By 2025, over ** million UK citizens are forecast to use smartphones. Most consumers seemed to be satisfied with their smartphones brand, and only a small percentage were very likely to purchase a new phone on the next possible occasion. Of course, smartphone manufacturers also come out with new models quite frequently.

In July 2024, the Apple iOS ** operating system version had a share of nearly ** percent among all Apple tablet devices in the United States, with the iOS ** version occupying just over ** percent of the Apple tablet market in the United States.

The predominance of Android smartphones over iOS in Spain is indisputable: from 2013 to June 2024 the Google-developed operating system held over ** percent of the total market share. Apple’s iOS market share peaked in April 2023 with **** percent of the total share. This trend can vary significantly across countries – the popularity of iOS devices in the United Kingdom, for instance, was greater than that of Android for a long while, although the Google system has gained widespread acceptance among the British population in recent years.