Android Outselling the iPhone 10-to-1 in China

By Boz
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Grand Master

Boz

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There is no denying that the Chinese love the iPhone. Initial sales back in the first couple generations were slow, based on poor pricing, versus nearby neighbor Hong Kong. But the Chinese market quickly shifted, developing a lust for both the Apple iPad and iPhone. In this rapidly developing nation -- the world's largest smartphone market -- the pricey iPhone has become a shining status symbol that some would quite literally give an organ for.

And yet in the People's Republic, Android is proving to be the people's phone. Analysys International reports that Android has risen from 33.6 percent market share (2010) to 65 percent (2011).

That's more than 10 times the 2011 market share of iOS -- 5.7 percent, up from 4.1 percent in 2010.

Apple sees China as a key growth market, largely because of the market's massive size. China has 988 million total cell phone subscribers -- the most of any nation in the world. Many of those subscribers have switched to smartphones.

Source: Daily Tech

Grand Master

Astra.Xtreme

Posted
Posted

Not too surprising. Android is a lot cheaper.

And there is at least 10 varieties of Android phones for every 1 variety of iPhone. Hell it's probably closer to 100:1 if China is as littered with Android phones as the US.

Veteran

~Johnny

Posted
Posted

And there is at least 10 varieties of Android phones for every 1 variety of iPhone. Hell it's probably closer to 100:1 if China is as littered with Android phones as the US.

I'd be surprised if a lot of chinese handsets even bothered getting Google approval / market access anyway, making it effectively "free" to use Android on their devices.

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Grand Master

Elliott

Posted
Posted

Not surprising. There are a ton of cheap Android phones in the US, so there are bound to be at least 10x as many in China. Also, like Johnny said, they're probably not using Google's services.

I'd like to see the profit share in China.

Grand Master

Boz

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who cares if there are ton of Android phones or if its cheap?? Its selling better than iphone thats all i need.

Yep.. I think it's great because as a developer it's such a massive market to publish to it's crazy.

Just look at Instagram. Launched on Android, 5 million downloads in first few days. That's power. It took them 3 months to reach that same number on iOS.

Android is crazy opportunity that hasn't even blossomed yet for devs.

Grand Master

HawkMan

Posted
Posted

Launched on iOS as an unknown app, launched on android as a well known massively used app....

Yeah your comparison is absolutely useless.

Also as has been said before, selling big in Asia is pointless as far as the android marketplace goes. Seeing as most of these phones are not licensed for the marketplace.

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Grand Master

HawkMan

Posted
Posted

3GS, 4 & 4S actually, and also not relevant. I know people still using their original iPhone.

Yes there are people still using their original droids as well not many since it didn't sell very well and quality isn't that good.

But the point isn't what's in use, it's what's being sold, which is in effect 2 (2.5) iPhones and I can't even count how many android phones are actively being sold right now, they're still selling original desire's.

Grand Master

Hell-In-A-Handbasket

Posted
Posted

Just look at Instagram. Launched on Android, 5 million downloads in first 24 hours. That's power. It took them 3 months to reach that same number on iOS.

And Instagram had How long of word of mouth marketing before it hit Android. I think it started as iOS, became popular then brought to Android.

And there are a number of Big Name Devs that have flat out said they don't like android because of how fractured the platform is device compatibility wise

Grand Master

Boz

Posted
  • Author
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And there are a number of Big Name Devs that have flat out said they don't like android because of how fractured the platform is device compatibility wise

I am a developer and everyone I know developing for both platforms is fine with Android. Tools and SDK have matured so much that it's super easy to publish an app through Android eco-system and different displays and so on very easily. Fragmentation is not a problem. You target a minimum and maximum SDK and you are good to go. In addition Google provides something called Android Compatibility SDK v4 that allows developers to use some of the latest features with 2.x Android phones.

I don't know who those big name devs are.. but I will venture a guess that most of them are coming from Apple's side

Grand Master

rajputwarrior

Posted
Posted

Yep.. I think it's great because as a developer it's such a massive market to publish to it's crazy.

Just look at Instagram. Launched on Android, 5 million downloads in first few days. That's power. It took them 3 months to reach that same number on iOS.

Android is crazy opportunity that hasn't even blossomed yet for devs.

maybe because no one knew what it was yet?

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