Apple Inc. can’t seem to catch a break these days as the tech giant’s market share gets eroded a bit more every day. Could Apple be following the same downward trajectory as deposed heavyweights like Microsoft and Blackberry?
A study released by research firm Strategy Analytics said, “Global smartphone shipments grew 47 percent to hit 230 million devices in the second quarter of 2013.. Android captured record market share of 80 percent, while iOS hit a new low of 14 percent.”
The study displayed the striking trends that have upended the mobile industry. Google’s Android platform is gobbling up an ever larger chunk of the global smartphone and tablet market while the public’s appetite for Apple iOS devices continues to shrink. Android’s dominance has even taken hold in the App Store wars between Google Play and Apple’s iTunes App Store. Android now is driving more downloads than iTunes. The iPhone app developer community has taken notice as the Android’s app marketplace’s growth is accelerating faster than iTunes and is destined to eclipse one million apps deployed to the store.
The biggest difference in strategy between Apple and the rest of their competitors seems to be on the innovation front. As an iPhone app developer in New York City its concerning to see Apple losing its edge and failing to innovate for the future. Under the watchful eye of Steve Jobs, Apple became the most innovative and most valuable company on earth. Since Jobs’ passing the company has failed to innovate and launch any more disruptive products while Google seems to launch a new amazing venture every other week. In the past few years alone Google has launched Google Glass, Android, Google Fiber, the Loon project, and perfected the self-driving car.
Venture Beat’s story on the subject elaborates on Apple’s failures in a succinct but brutal manner, “Android has captured the global smartphone market for the foreseeable future, and Apple has frittered away a massive lead in technology and user experience by keeping its nose in the air and refusing to do what it takes to satisfy more than a small slice of the market. Which ultimately harms consumers, who don’t get a chance to experience iOS and Apple products at a price level they can afford, and harms Apple, which is still making money but, absent a miracle of the scope of iPhone’s original introduction, is quickly subsiding into yesterday’s story.