Despite Apple’s successes in introducing some of the world’s most loved devices – items such as the iPod, iPad, and iPhone – Google’s Android has had an astronomical rise and since 2011 has been the most widely installed mobile OS on the planet.
Since last year (2013), Android-supported devices outsell both Windows and Mac OS devices put together.
The term “app” was for so long considered synonymous with Apple’s technology, and their App Store was truly revolutionary in its global success. This is still an extremely vibrant marketplace and will continue to be for a very long time, but the Google Play store has now comprehensively eclipsed Apple’s efforts.
Whilst the Android vs. iOS debate continues to rage, we’d like to paint a simple and objective picture of how Android become the most popular mobile OS on the planet.
Early Days
We now associate Android with Google, but this wasn’t always the case. In October 2003, Andy Rubin, Rich Miner, Chris White, and Nick Sears established the company with a view to developing more advanced operating system for digital cameras.
After judging the marketplace, they decided to expand their ambition to cater for more intelligent smartphones. After initial financial complications and an emergency $10,000 dollar bailout, Android began to take flight and was acquired by Google in 2005 for a reported $50 million.
Most of the key figures stayed with Android after the buy-out, and continued to work with a team to develop the technology further.
Rumours & Alliances
After Google bought Android, rumours were rife that they were in the process of producing their own hardware, the “gPhone”. In fact, their plans went much further and much greater than this – as we can see today!
One of the main drivers behind the development of this OS was the Open Handset Alliance, consisting of major manufacturers, including HTC, Samsung, and Sony. This group became truly revolutionary in its approach, welcoming the introduction of an open source standard OS suitable for devices built by multiple manufacturers.
Whilst the invention was undoubtedly driven by the team at Google, this ‘alliance’ contributed significantly to the development of such an effective operating system, and was key to its long-term success.
In 2008, HTC released their device, the HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1). This was the first commercially available Android device. 2010 saw Google launch their range of hardware products; Nexus.
The Nexus One was built by HTC, and later Nexus devices were built by other manufacturers, notably Asus. The Nexus range is intended as the flagship Android range of tablets and smartphones.
Versions
Android has gone through many updates. The first of these was Android 1.5 Cupcake, which supported widgets and folders on the home screen. In September 2009, we saw Android 1.6 Donut. This update supported higher resolution screens and improved the Android market.
These were then followed by Eclair, Froyo, and Gingerbread, which improved Google Maps integration, supported Adobe Flash, and introduced NFC. In 2011, we saw Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich which were developed for tablets, and in 2012 we saw the truly revolutionary Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
The same year saw the release of the Samsung Galaxy S3; a match made in heaven. In September 2013, Google announced a new update, KitKat, which introduced multiple upgrades to UI and functionality.
Why The Success?
There are varying opinions as to why Android has become so successful. Key to its success was its appeal to the developers working with the technology.
Due to the relative ease of developing applications (when compared to other operating systems), Android was accepted as a viable option, and welcomed as a positive invention by those who sought to profit from its rise.
The more apps that were created, the more appealing Android became to the consumer. The more appealing Android is to the consumer, the more attractive the Android OS is to smartphone manufacturers. The snowball effect was underway, and it’s arguably still gathering momentum!
With Apple iOS strictly regulated, Google saw an opportunity to fill the void with an open-source operating system that could take over the world.
Android Authority summarise Google’s success in Five Reasons Why Android is Killing Apple;
Hardware Diversity
Competition & Innovation
Open Source, Free Market System
Strong Developer Community
The Google Ethos
Hardware diversity is interesting because it can work on both ends of the spectrum. As Android Authority argues, this means that manufacturers can use the same OS for high spec devices, but also for the cheaper products; thus making Android accessible to people on varying budgets. In terms of competition & innovation, manufacturers are driven to create the best Android device possible to stand out from the crowd, meaning that the quality of devices and their technology is improving at a sharp pace.
It is undeniable that the third point above, an open source free market system, has been hugely influential in the success of Android. This allows third parties to develop products that excel the platform. As we’ve already discussed, the developer community is essential to maintaining the buzz around Android, and as better applications are developed, Android becomes more appealing.
It could be argued that the “Google Ethos” is a slightly fluffy term, but their commitment to big data, their enthusiasm for innovation, as well as their effective marketing, has supported Android from the very beginning.
Understandably, these arguments are hotly contested amongst the Android and Apple communities, but one thing is for certain; Android is doing extremely well.
The Present & Future
By the end of 2013, Android had acquired a market share of over 81% in the global smartphone shipment market. As of April 2013, daily activations of Android devices was up to 1.5 million. According to an article featured on Econsultancy, 65% of global smartphone owners use Android, which marks a 270% increase in Android users since the end of 2011. In terms of handset sales, Samsung are right up there are the top, with approximately 35% of the global market share.
Android will continue to dominate this landscape for the foreseeable future. There are rumours that Google are considering a major redesign, creating a more unified feel across all Google apps. However they decide to pursue this, it is clear that Google has successfully established Android at the forefront of our new mobile existence.
Whilst Apple devices are still incredibly popular all over the world, app developers are missing a trick if they don’t embrace the massive Android market and create applications for the billions of people across the world that use Google Play every day. Whether Android’s meteoric rise is signalling Apple’s demise is yet to be seen, but one sure fact is that developing for Google’s marketplace is a smart move.
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