Cool chart: NPD shows the growth of Android and iOS

By Jeffrey Van Camp December 14, 2011

npd-us-smartphone-os-marketshare-oct2011 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you follow mobile news at all, you know that the smartphone market is exploding and most of the growth is going to Android and iOS. Every quarter we hear numbers, but today NPD Group (via BGR) released a fascinating chart that shows the market share of all major smartphone OS’s since 2006.

The chart shows the startlingly quick growth of Android, which now holds 53 percent of the US smartphone market as of Oct. 2011. It also shows some of the big losers. It clearly illustrates the fast market share erosion of Palm OS, Windows Mobile, Symbian, and RIM (BlackBerry) in the last six years. Windows Mobile went from 37 percent of the market to only 3 percent, which is now buoyed by the 2 percent market share of Windows Phone, which launched in late 2010. RIM went from a 50 percent market share during some quarters of 2006 to an 8-10 percent share through Oct. 2011.

As startling as these numbers are, keep in mind that market share is only half of the picture. Yes, RIM used to dominate and now Android is crushing it, but the smartphone market has grown massively since 2006. So while Windows Mobile used to hold a commanding market share, it did so in a much smaller market. Likewise, RIM may have a 10 percent market share in 2011, but that doesn’t mean its sales have dropped. It’s simply not keeping pace with the growth of its competitors.

What does 2012 have in store? RIM and Windows Phone face a huge challenge to try and make themselves relevant in a market that seems to have completely replaced them with Android and iOS. HP also just announced that WebOS will become open source. If a few manufacturers latch onto it, could it see a resurgence by this time next year, or will it be missing from the chart entirely?

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Jeffrey Van Camp

Former Digital Trends Contributor

As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…

Mobile

How to add a different home screen wallpaper on iOS 17

An iPhone with iOS 16, showing the new Lock Screen.

If you haven't used an iPhone in a while, or if you haven't tried to update your lock screen, they you might be happy to learn about some of the new customization features that are available in iOS 17. Although iOS has made some controversial changes to its UI, such as moving the notifications to the bottom of the lock screen, they are also more welcome changes to the customization options for the lock screen.

Introduced in iOS 16 was a slew of lock screen customization features to let you tweak your phone's lock screen to your liking, and these same features are available in iOS 17 as well. While the lock screen used to be just a static image, you can now make it more dynamic with options like cycling through collections of your photos, so you can show off your favorite photos of your pets, your family, or beautiful locations that you've visited.

Mobile

When will Apple release iOS 18? Here’s what we know

An iPhone 14 laying face-down on a wood table.

Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will start on Monday, June 10. During the conference keynote, the company is expected to unveil new software updates for its major products, including iOS 18 for iPhones.

iOS 18 is expected to be a major iPhone update, likely ushering in a new design and AI features. If you are wondering when you can get your hands on the latest software version, here's everything you need to know about iOS 18's release date.
When will the iOS 18 beta be released?

Mobile

The 7 biggest features we expect to see in iOS 18

The home screen on the Apple iPhone 15 Plus.

Apple revealed that its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will take place on June 10. This is when we expect to see the next iteration of software across all of Apple’s products, including iOS 18.

From the sounds of it, we’re in for a big update with iOS 18, rumored to be one of the “biggest updates” yet. Here’s what we expect from Apple's next major iPhone update with iOS 18.
A more customizable home screen