The Smartphone Wars in 2012 - Android Juggernaut Rolls On

From a standpoint of mindshare, the biggest winner of 2012

IDC has released its 2012 data on smartphone market share.

Android - The juggernaut rolls on

2011 Android Market Share - 49.2%

2012 Android Market Share - 68.8%

Q4 2011 Android Market Share - 52.9%

Q4 2012 Android Market Share - 70.1%

With low priced Android smartphone invading the higher end of the feature phone market, Android should continue hold its commanding market share in 2013. Still, at 70% of the market.

Apple iPhone - Holding ground

2011 iPhone Market Share - 18.8%

2012 iPhone Market Share - 18.8%

Q4 2011 iPhone Market Share - 23%

Q4 2012 iPhone Market Share - 21%

Signs of trouble? Apple iPhone held its portion of the market fiercely in 2012. But with the overall mobile phone market growing by only 2% in 2012, the fight in 2013 appears to be getting the 900+ million users on feature phones to smartphones rather than an overall increase in the user base. Apple offering premium priced phones, is not in the best position to take advantage of this. Still, Apple will ship 140+ million iPhone in 2013, and will make tons of money doing so, so I would not worry about the company.

Windows Phone - Trouble?

2011 Windows Phone Market Share - 1.8%

2012 Windows Phone Market Share - 2.5%

Q4 2011 Windows Phone Market Share - 1.5%

Q4 2012 Windows Phone Market Share - 2.6%

It is not looking all too good for Windows Phone. It really is not gaining much traction, and the new round of 2013 Android releases in Q2 of this year will make the existing Windows Phone handsets look obsolescent for Q2 and Q3 of the year. When the new 2013 Windows Phones come out, I expect a new Apple iPhone to be laying in wait.