14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft’s Windows is very likely to lose the number one operating system for Internet usage spot to Android in a comparison chart that includes desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
Research firm StatCounter says Windows continues to lead the market with 38.6 percent of the Internet traffic, but Android is very close with 37.4 percent, and if the same trend is maintained, a switch of places is very likely to happen in the coming months.
“The idea of Android almost matching Windows would have been unthinkable five years ago. In January 2012 Windows held 82% global internet usage share compared to just 2.2% for Android,” Aodhan Cullen, CEO, StatCounter.
In terms of PC usage, Windows obviously continues to be the number one operating system with a share of 84.1 percent in February, according to the same source.
The rise of Android
Without a doubt, Android’s impressive growth in Internet usage figures is possible thanks to the impressive adoption rate that the platform is experiencing in the smartphone business, with several research firms putting it at no less than 85 percent market share.
Apple’s iOS comes second with approximately 14 percent, depending on the research firm, and although figures vary a bit depending on the provider, Android is in most of the cases leading the mobile world with more than 80 percent.
Microsoft barely exists in the mobile race, with Windows Phone currently at approximately 0.5 percent market share according to various sources. A bigger drop is expected in the coming years as well, with IDC projecting a decline to 0.0 percent share by 2021.
While sales of smartphones skyrocketed in the last few years, PCs recorded a completely different performance, with shipments declining almost every quarter. In this context, it makes sense for Android to get so close to Windows and even to overtake it, despite Microsoft’s efforts to expand beyond the PC.