Ahmed Sherif
Research expert covering IT services and gaming hardware
Android - statistics & facts
Android, Google’s flagship mobile operating system, stands as a hallmark of adaptability and versatility in the realm of today's smartphone market. Initially, a California-based company called Android Inc. created the system for digital cameras and mobile devices, but with the mobile market on the horizon, Google stepped in.. Acquiring Android Inc. in 2005, Google pivoted the system towards the consumer mobile market, officially launching Android as a mobile OS two years later.
Following the success in the smartphone market, Android expanded its operating system to tablets. Android tablets were introduced to compete with Apple’s iPad, a pioneer product in the industry. Due to the lack of quality applications for Android tablets, Android did not grow as strongly at first as in the smartphone market but managed to establish itself as the leading tablet operating system in late 2012. As of 2023, Android had a roughly 46 percent share of the tablet market.
A range of devices keeps Android in the lead
As the Android OS was introduced to the market, it gained the support of several smartphone manufacturers. Sony, Samsung, and HTC all eventually built phones designed specifically for the Android system. This has aided Android significantly in gaining popularity in the market, making it the most used smartphone operating system since 2010. Particularly, in 2022, it held over 70 percent of the smartphone operating system market. This success is also due to Android devices’ prices, which are usually cheaper than those of its biggest competitor, Apple.Following the success in the smartphone market, Android expanded its operating system to tablets. Android tablets were introduced to compete with Apple’s iPad, a pioneer product in the industry. Due to the lack of quality applications for Android tablets, Android did not grow as strongly at first as in the smartphone market but managed to establish itself as the leading tablet operating system in late 2012. As of 2023, Android had a roughly 46 percent share of the tablet market.
Android gets regularly updated
Google regularly releases new versions of Android to take full advantage of the potential offered by powerful flagship devices and to continue improving the overall user experience. As of July 2023, Android 11 was the most widely used version of Android in operation, followed by Android 12. Older devices tend to run previous Android versions as they cannot run the latest versions stably. Updated versions are also available for tablets running on Android. In 2023, with over 21 percent of the market, Android 13 was the most used version on tablets, and it was followed by Android 9 Pie, which held more than 17 percent.Android Apps and the Google Play Store
The increasing popularity of Android devices is supported by the app store, Google Play Store -the largest app store in the world with nearly 2.6 million apps available for download as of June 2023. In the same period, Meta’s Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp apps were the most downloaded Android apps, while streaming services apps for Disney+ and HBO Max were the Android apps that generated the most revenue, bringing in over 70 million and 50 million U.S. dollars in June 2023 respectively.
