Without any new product launches from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) the company’s iOS mobile operating system posted a decline in market for the second quarter of 2013 as Google Inc.’s Android and Microsoft Corp.’s Windows Phone managed slight increases for the same period.
Windows Phone, which posted the largest year-to-year increase among the top five smart phone platforms, held on to the third position with 3.7 per cent of the market share. In its efforts to attract more app developers to its operating system, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has launched a new developer tool called the Windows Phone App Studio.
BlackBerry Ltd.’s (TSE: BB) BB 10 OS was fourth with 2.9 per cent market share, followed by Linux with 0.8 per cent.
“The iOS decline in the second quarter aligns with the cyclicality of iPhone,” according to Ramon Llamas, research manager with the mobile phone team, at IDC. “Without a new product launch since its debut of the iPhone 5 nearly a year ago, Apple’s market share was vulnerable to product launches from the competition.”
He did say that with the company poised to roll out a new handset and a revamped operating system later this year, Apple is “well-positioned to re-capture “its top spot although it still remains to be seen how the new iOS7 will be received.
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The introduction of new Windows Phone handsets by Finnish manufacturer Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK) has been welcome development for Microsoft, according to Ryan Reith, program manager of the Mobility Tracker program. Nokia accounted for 81.6 per cent of all Windows Phone smart phone shipments in 2013.
“Last quarter, we witnessed Windows Phone shipments surpassing BlackBerry and the trend continued into the second quarter,” he said. “Nokia has clearly been the driving force behind the Windows Phone platform and we expect that to continue.”
Reith said Windows Phone can become a “more attractive differentiator” as more vendors crank out smart phones using Android.
Samsung Electronics Co.’s (KRX: 005930) Galaxy S4 was a big contributor to Android’s top position but other manufacturers such as LG, Huawei, Lenovo and ZTE recorded double-digit shipment volumes as well.
Although BlackBerry saw a market share decline during the quarter the company showed “steady progress” since the launch of its BB10 platform which has so far seen action in three models, according to IDC.
“IT’s still early days for the platform, however, and BlackBerry will need time and resources to evangelize more end users,” said IDC.
