Windows Phone is now definitively winning the battle to become the world’s No. 3 mobile operating system. The latest numbers from IDC show that Windows Phone shipments have grown from 4.9 million in the second quarter of 2012 to 8.7 million in 2013, an increase of around 78%. Nokia deserves much of the credit for the year-over-year surge in Windows Phone shipments since its 7.1 million smartphones shipped on the quarter accounted for 81% of all Windows Phones in Q2 2013.
Things aren’t going nearly so well for BlackBerry, however, as IDC found that its shipments have shrunk from 7.7 million in Q2 2012 to 6.8 million in Q2 2013, a decline of 12%. The continued decline in shipment volumes for BlackBerry comes even though its flagship Z10 smartphone was available for the entire second quarter and its Q10 smartphone was available for at least part of the quarter.
Android, in contrast, had an absolute blowout quarter, with shipments of Android devices growing 74% year-over-year to 187 million. This astounding number gives Android a 79% share of the global smartphone market in Q2 2013. Apple, meanwhile, saw its own market share decline to just 13% despite seeing its total shipments increase by 20% year-over-year to 31 million.
IDC’s full press release follows below.
Apple Cedes Market Share in Smartphone Operating System Market as Android Surges and Windows Phone Gains, According to IDC
FRAMINGHAM, Mass. August 7, 2013 – Despite beating Wall Street expectations in terms of shipment volumes, Apple’s share in the worldwide smartphone operating system market posted a year-over-year decline during the second quarter of 2013 (2Q13). Meanwhile, Android and Windows Phone both managed slight increases during the same period. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, vendors shipped a total of 236.4 million smartphones in 2Q13, up 51.3% from the 156.2 million units shipped in 2Q12. Second quarter shipments grew 9.3% when compared to the 216.3 million units shipped in 1Q13.
“The iOS decline in the second quarter aligns with the cyclicality of iPhone,” says Ramon Llamas, Research Manager with IDC’s Mobile Phone team. “Without a new product launch since the debut of the iPhone 5 nearly a year ago, Apple’s market share was vulnerable to product launches from the competition. But with a new iPhone and revamped iOS coming out later this year, Apple is well-positioned to re-capture market share.”
“Last quarter we witnessed Windows Phone shipments surpassing BlackBerry and the trend has continued into the second quarter,” said Ryan Reith, Program Manager with IDC’s Mobility Tracker Programs. “Nokia has clearly been the driving force behind the Windows Phone platform and we expect that to continue. However, as more and more vendors enter the smartphone market using the Android platform, we expect Windows Phone to become a more attractive differentiator in this very competitive market segment.”
Smartphone Operating System Highlights
Android maintained its leadership position, with strong contributions from Samsung and its Galaxy S4. Not to be overlooked were LG and Chinese vendors Huawei, Lenovo, and ZTE, which each recorded double-digit shipment volumes in the millions. Combined, these vendors accounted for 62.5% of all Android-powered smartphone shipments during the quarter. Still, the remaining vendors within the Android ecosystem should not be overlooked, as many have developed a strong local presence within key developing markets.
iOS finished the quarter as the clear number 2 operating system, showing that, even without new product launches, demand remains strong. Moreover, Apple added new mobile operators to its camp, boosting short-term volumes and cementing long-term end-user relationships. What remains to be seen is how the new iOS 7 will be received once it reaches the market later this year, as much of the look and feel of the user interface has been revamped.
Windows Phone posted the largest year-over-year increase among the top five smartphone platforms, and in the process reinforced its position as the number 3 smartphone operating system. Driving this result was Nokia, which released two new smartphones and grew its presence at multiple mobile operators. But beyond Nokia, Windows Phone remained a secondary option for other vendors, many of which have concentrated on Android. By comparison, Nokia accounted for 81.6% of all Windows Phone smartphone shipments during 2Q13.
BlackBerry saw its market share decline during the quarter, reaching levels not seen in the history of IDC’s Mobile Phone Tracker. However, BlackBerry has shown steady progress since the launch of its BB 10 platform, which has grown to three models, additional mobile operators, and a greater presence within its total volumes. It is still early days for the platform, however, and BlackBerry will need time and resources to evangelize more end users.
Linux, with few vendors supporting the open source platform and virtually no global presence, barely scraped together a single percentage point of market share during the quarter. Most vendors have transitioned to Android and those that remain have limited presence within specific markets. It should be noted that IDC includes Linux-branded shipments in these numbers, and excludes Android-branded shipments. Several other branded variations of Linux, including Firefox, Tizen, and SailFish, are expected to launch later this year, providing a potential boost to volumes and market share.
Top Smartphone Operating Systems, Shipments, and Market Share, 2013 Q3 (Units in Millions)
Operating System 2Q13 Unit Shipments
2Q13 Market Share
2Q12 Unit Shipments
2Q12 Market Share
Year-over-Year Change
Android 187.4
79.3%
108
69.1%
73.5%
iOS 31.2
13.2%
26
16.6%
20.0%
Windows Phone 8.7
3.7%
4.9
3.1%
77.6%
BlackBerry OS 6.8
2.9%
7.7
4.9%
-11.7%
Linux 1.8
0.8%
2.8
1.8%
-35.7%
Symbian 0.5
0.2%
6.5
4.2%
-92.3%
Others N/A
0.0%
0.3
0.2%
-100.0%
Total 236.4
100.0%
156.2
100.0%
51.3%
Source: IDC Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker, August 7, 2013
Top Android Smartphone Vendors, Shipments, and Market Share, 2013 Q3 (Units in Millions)
Vendor 2Q13 Unit Shipments
2Q13 Market Share
2Q12 Unit Shipments
2Q12 Market Share
Year-over-Year Change
Samsung 73.3
39.1%
48
44.4%
52.7%
LG 12.1
6.5%
5.8
5.4%
108.6%
Lenovo 11.4
6.1%
4.9
4.5%
132.7%
Huawei 10.2
5.4%
6.5
6.0%
56.9%
ZTE 10.2
5.4%
6.4
5.9%
59.4%
Others 70.2
37.5%
36.4
33.7%
92.9%
Total 187.4
100.0%
108.0
100.0%
73.5%
Source: IDC Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker, August 7, 2013
Top Windows Phone Smartphone Vendors, Shipments, and Market Share, 2013 Q3 (Units in Millions)
Vendor 2Q13 Unit Shipments
2Q13 Market Share
2Q12 Unit Shipments
2Q13 Market Share
Year-over-Year Change
Nokia 7.1
81.6%
4.1
83.7%
73.2%
Samsung 1.0
11.5%
0.3
6.1%
233.3%
HTC 0.4
4.6%
0.4
8.2%
0.0%
Huawei 0.2
2.3%
0.0
0.0%
N/A
Others 0.0
0.0%
0.1
2.0%
-100.0%
Total 8.7
100.0%
4.9
100.0%
77.6%
Source: IDC Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker, August 7, 2013
