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.

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 number of Android smartphone users in the United States reached 129.1 million in 2020, and this figure is forecast to reach more than 130 million in 2021.

The rise of the Android robot

One reason for the growth of Android – developed by Google – is its open-source platform that allows 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, is the leading manufacturer for Android smartphones in the United States..

Is Android’s success affecting iOS?

The increase in Android smartphone users in the United States is a part of growth in the overall market, and does not come at the expense of nearest rival, the Apple iPhone. The number of iPhone users in the United States is also increasing year-on-year. Google Android and Apple iOS are together conquering all other competitors in the United States’ mobile operating systems market holding a joint share of 99 percent.

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.

According to a survey conducted in the United States in 2022, almost half of the male respondents, 48 percent, were using an Android smartphone, while the usage of the iOS operating system was lower, 44 percent. By comparison, usage of smartphones with Android operative system among women was 44 percent, while 47 percent of U.S. female users had an iOS device.

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 *********.

This statistic shows the distribution of mobile operating systems installed on consumers' smartphones (by age group) in the United States in 2024. As of **********, ** percent of 18 to 29 year old respondents said that their smartphone ran on iOS (Apple). The survey was conducted among ***** respondents. Access millions of exclusive survey results with Statista Consumer Insights.

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.

The number of smartphone users in the United States was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 17.4 million users (+5.61 percent). After the fifteenth consecutive increasing year, the smartphone user base is estimated to reach 327.54 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of smartphone users of was continuously increasing over the past years.Smartphone users here are limited to internet users of any age using a smartphone. The shown figures have been derived from survey data that has been processed to estimate missing demographics.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of smartphone users in countries like Mexico and Canada.

According to a survey of mobile smartphone users conducted in December 2022 in the United States, over six in ** respondents were likely or highly likely to opt out of tracking when Google introduced new features allowing Android users to do so. Among these, ** percent of users aged 55 and over reported being highly likely to limit the app tracking activity from companies and advertisers on their Android devices, and ** percent of users aged between 18 and 34 reported the same.

The statistic shows the share of the population in the United States that uses a smartphone in the United States from 2018 to 2025. In 2025, 87.08 percent of the population in the United States is forecast to use a smartphone.

Smartphone user penetration - additional information
A smartphone can be defined as a mobile device that uses an identifiable operating system and has a more advanced technological capability than a basic mobile phone. The number of U.S mobile users who have a smartphone is set to more than triple between 2011 and 2017 to almost 80 percent of all mobile users. This means that the number of overall smartphone users is forecast to top 200 million by 2017.

The smartphone penetration rate of mobile users is similarly high in the United Kingdom, with over 80 percent expected to own a smart device by 2017. However the smartphone market is set to grow at a slower rate in China with just under half of mobile users forecast to own a smartphone in 2017. The percentage is even lower in India where 32 percent of mobile phone users are predicted to use a smartphone by 2017.

Android phones and iPhones remain the most popular choice for smartphones with the two respective Operating Systems holding of 90 percent of the market sales in the U.S. in 2013. This trend looks set to continue with two new competing smartphones on the market, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (Android) and the iPhone 6 (iOS), both unveiled in 2014.

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.

As of July 2024, Apple’s iPhone 15 was the most popular smartphone model sold in the United States, accounting for over **** percent of total smartphone sales. The iPhone was the most popular smartphone in the United States at that time, occupying four spots in the top five. Apple and Samsung: two leading competitors Apple and Samsung are the leading smartphone vendors in the United States with a combined market share of almost ** percent in the second quarter of 2023. The two smartphone vendors dominate the U.S. smartphone market not only in terms of sales, but also when it comes to customer satisfaction: Samsung’s Galaxy line and the Apple iPhones are the highest ranked smartphone models on the American customer satisfaction index. In line with their successes in the United States, Apple and Samsung also lead the global smartphone market, albeit to a lesser degree – the two brands have a combined market share of close to ** percent. Smartphone penetration the highest in the United States Smartphone sales value in the United States more than doubled in the last decade, making the U.S. one of the major smartphone markets globally. In 2024, over *** million smartphones were forecast to be sold, with the number of U.S. smartphone users forecast expected to grow in the coming years.

Following the release of four new iPhone 13 models, Android users in the U.S were asked whether they could consider upgrading their device to an iPhone 13. Out of those who would not consider switching to Apple, nearly a third (31.9 percent) accredited the lack of a fingerprint reader as the reason they would not make the switch. Around 17 percent of respondents indicated that the little customizability offered by iOS was the main reason they would not upgrade their phone to an iPhone 13.

According to a December 2021 survey of mobile users in the United States, it was found that 58 percent of smartphone users aged 18 and 34 years, were using iPhone as their main device. U.S. users between 35 and 54 years, on the other hand, preferred using an Android phone, as 53 percent of respondents of this age group stated using a smartphone operated by Android such as a Samsung or a Google smartphone.

Manufacturers’ market share of smartphone sales in the United States is led by Apple and Samsung, with a market share of ** percent and ** percent, respectively, as of the second quarter of 2024. Next to Apple and Samsung are Lenovo and HMD, with respective market shares of ** and one percent.  Global smartphone market While Apple continues to lead the U.S. smartphone market, it has traditionally lagged behind on the global scale. Samsung has been the leading smartphone vendor worldwide since 2012. However, Samsung’s lead in terms of market share has started to dwindle in recent years, meaning that Apple and other Chinese competitors, such as Xiaomi, vivo, and Huawei, have seen a boost in the smartphone industry. Apple’s traction on the global scale in 2020 comes from its move towards 5G-enabled smartphones, which have doubled sales one year, from 2020 to 2021, alone. Apple is currently the leading vendor in terms of global 5G smartphone shipments. The introduction of 5G throughout the world brings with it the possibility to upheave the smartphone market as we know it. Are U.S. consumers satisfied with Apple and Samsung phones? Apple and Samsung not only lead the smartphone market in the United States in terms of usage, but also in terms of customer satisfaction. The highest ranked smartphone models on the American customer satisfaction index are nearly all Samsung Galaxy and Apple iPhone models. Furthermore, it appears that U.S. smartphone users are unlikely to change their primarily used smartphone brand anytime soon.

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.

Apple’s iOS is the leading operating system for tablets in the United States, with a market share of ***** percent as of January 2025. Its closest competitor, Google's Android, has a smaller, yet growing, market presence, with a nearly **** percent share of the market, down from around ***** percent in the same month in 2024. iOS and Android: A duet In line with the United States, Apple’s iOS operating system also dominates the tablet market in the United Kingdom with a **** percent market share in 2023, leaving Google’s Android with round around **** percent of the market. However, on a global scale, Google’s Android was the leading operating system for tablets until the third quarter of 2023, when iOS's market share globally overtook that of Google's with around **** percent share of the tablet OS market. The Apple iPad Introduced to the consumer market in 2010, the Apple iPad has become a household name in the tablet industry. The iPad has dramatically changed the tablet market not only in terms of technology but also consumer expectations. Since its initial release, Apple has progressed through ** generations of iPad hardware, shipping almost ** million units worldwide in the third quarter of 2022 alone.

Pie 9.0 was the most popular version of Android operating system as of April 2020, with a market share of 31.3 percent. Despite being released in the fall of 2015, Marshmallow 6.0 was still the second most widely used version of Android’s operating system on smartphone devices as of then. Developers Google previously named its Android versions after items of confectionery, but in a break from tradition the latest release in September 2019 is simply called Android 10, which had a share of 8.3 percent seven months after its release.

Google took the Android distribution chart off of the web in 2020. For more updated Android version data please this other statistic based on StatCounter data.

Why are older Android versions still being used?

It is considered good practice to install the latest version of software on to your smartphone for security reasons, but Android updates vary by device, manufacturer, and mobile carrier. It is also true that older devices cannot always run newer Android versions. Around 60 percent of Android devices are running a mobile operating system that is over two years old. In comparison, 81 percent of iPhone devices are running on the latest version of iOS.

Unlocking the code to Android’s success

Android is the mobile operating systems’ market leader worldwide. Since its initial unveiling in 2007, the platform has pursued a commitment to openness – its source code is freely available which allows smartphone manufacturers to install the software without having to pay a license. This reduction in costs allows vendors to make their devices cheaper than the competition. The average selling price of an Android smartphone worldwide was around 200 U.S. dollars in 2018 – more than 400 U.S. dollars cheaper than an iPhone.

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.