Android may take over Windows

BANGALORE, INDIA: Android is all set to  overtake Windows as the premier Operating System, by 2016, according to the latest report by IDC (International Data Corporation).

The new IDC report projects a massive growth in shipments of “smart connected devices” from close to one billion shipped at the end of 2011 to a whopping 1.84 billion by 2016.

Given the explosive sales of smartphones and tablets, with a majority boasting the Android OS, it is expected that Android to dominate this market by 2016, and in the process, overtake Microsoft’s Windows.

While the iPad and Apple’s iOS have been dominating the tablet market, Android-based tablet devices are expected to overtake iPad sales in a few years as well. But Apple is exptected to dominate in terms of worldwide vendor shipments and will also enjoy higher revenue till 2016 and beyond. But purely in terms of market presence, the sheer number of low-priced, yet high-end, Android devices set to enter the market will help the OS reach the number one spot.

Smartphones and tablets of today are increasingly able to accommodate every requirement a person can reasonably ask of a digital device, whereas  previously, people would only be able to do this with their PC. The increased mobility, performance, utility and durability of these devices are leading consumers to demonstrate with their dollars an obvious preference for them. With over three billion phones sold each year, it’s easy to envision a future where nearly everyone will have a computer ala smartphone in their pocket. And, with most of these devices now featuring the Android OS, this is certainly not good news for Windows or Microsoft.

We are also part of an era of “multi-device” ownership. What these means is that a lot of consumers are opting to buy smartphones and tablets along with their laptops or desktops. When it comes to these “additional” devices, we also see a certain amount of “loyalty,” i.e, an Android smartphone user will most likely choose an Android tablet. That being said, the market is still too young to make accurate judgements, as most loyalty for multi-device ownership belongs to Apple and their highly popular iOS. Realistically though, if Ice Cream Sandwich takes off as it should, and increased numbers of individuals continue to purchase Android smartphones, it’s hghly conceivable that many consumers will opt for Android tablets too.

The whole premise of the report and the subsequent numbers they have (intelligently) thrown together are based on the fact that the term “smart connected devices” lumps smartphones, tablets, and PC’s together. Put together, we see a rise of the Android OS market share from 29.4% to 31.1%, with Windows falling from its leading share of 35.9% to 26.1%.

According to Tom Mainelli, IDC’s research director for mobile devices, we may also a larger percentage of app developers focusing their efforts on iOS, because, regardless of the platform’s lower overall market share, iOS end users have proven to be willing to pay for high-quality apps.

(With inputs from Andorid Authority)