14 DAY TRIAL // According to a recently published report from IDC, Google's mobile operating system, the already popular Android, is expected to become the second operating system on the market by 2013. IDC also forecasts that the total shipments of smartphones are expected to surpass 390 million units by that year, and that the Android platform will account for 68.0 million smartphone units shipped. The report also shows that the smartphone shipments are to register a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.9 percent between 2009 and 2013.
However, it seems that things will not be as simple in the smartphone operating systems area. The market was once dominated by “a handful of pioneers, such as BlackBerry, Symbian, and Windows Mobile,” states IDC, adding that newer platforms, including the Android and webOS, are gaining more traction on the market these days. However, by 2013, the leader on the market will still be the Symbian platform, IDC forecasts.
“Mobile operating systems have become the key ingredient in the highly competitive mobile device market. Although the overall look and feel of the device will still play an important role in the buying process, the wrong choice of operating system coupled with an awkward user interface can mean the difference between success and failure,” says Stephen D. Drake, vice president, Mobility and Telecom.
Other findings of IDC's report also include: - Symbian will remain the leading mobile OS around the world due to Nokia's strength in markets outside the US. - Android should see a CAGR of 150.4%, going up from 690,000 units shipped in 2008 to 68.0 million units by 2013, and reaching the second position in shipments by that year - Linux and webOS shipments will struggle throughout the forecast period. Shipments of Linux-powered devices will trend down due to greater emphasis on the Android platform but will not disappear entirely as some vendors will continue to support it. Palm's webOS, despite growing steadily, will capture limited market share due to limited deployment and availability of devices across multiple carriers.
Additional details can be found on IDC's website.