Android's Market Share Increased to 79.3% in Q2 2015 as Apple iPhone Dipped to 13.2%

Smartphones using Google's Android software increased their global market share as iPhones lost ground in the absence of new models being unleashed by Apple, the International Data Corporation reported Wednesday. Android's share of the smartphone market grew to 79.3% in the second quarter while that of iPhone slipped to 13.2% from 16.6% in the same three-month period last year, according to IDC figures. "The iOS decline in the second quarter aligns with the cyclicality of iPhone," said IDC mobile phone research team manager Ramon Llamas, referring to the software platform on which the Apple handsets are built.

"Without a new product launch since the debut of the iPhone 5 nearly a year ago, Apple's market share was vulnerable to product launches from the competition." Apple is "well positioned" to recapture market share with the release later this year of a new iPhone and the next-generation iOS mobile operating system, according to Llamas. IDC reported that 187 million Android-powered smartphones were shipped in the second quarter of the year as compared to 31.2 million iPhones. Smartphones powered by Microsoft Windows software showed the biggest jump, hitting 3.7% of the market in a 77.6% rise that "re-enforced" the mobile platform's third-place position, according to IDC. "Last quarter we witnessed Windows Phone shipments surpassing BlackBerry and the trend has continued into the second quarter," said IDC mobility tracker program manager Ryan Reith. Will Android continue to take market share from Apple IoS iPhone? Share your comments at the Smartphone and Tablet Emporium.