Canalys Report: Android Shipments at Record High in 2012 Q4
Canalys Report: Android Shipments at Record High in 2012 Q4 by UCStrategies Staff
It was stated in a Canalys report last week that Android devices accounted for 34 percent of all mobile phone shipments in the fourth-quarter. Comparing numbers for smartphones alone, sixty-nine percent of the 216.5 million devices shipped in the last three months of 2012 illustrated an increase from the year-ago quarter, when it stood at 52 percent.
The Korean technology company, Samsung, was the most successful of the Android phone makers, and the company saw an increase in Android smartphone shipments to 78 percent. Due to strong holiday sales of the iPhone 5, Apple's iOS shipments also increased from 15 percent in the third quarter to 22 percent in the fourth quarter.
Both Samsung and Apple (respectively) grabbed the number 1 and 2 spots for smartphone makers in the world, according to the Canalys report. Lenovo, Huawei and ZTE of China were also akin to triple-digit growth for smartphone shipments in the quarter due to a great increase in sales of smartphones in China.
Interestingly, Huawei came in third for total shipments for the first time, and ZTE came in fourth. Sony dropped out of the top five as Lenovo clinched fifth place. According to Canalys, Blackberry's market share stayed at 4 percent, and Windows Phone remained at 2 percent.
The principle analyst at Canalys, Pete Cunningham, said: “BlackBerry, Microsoft and Nokia, as well as other Android vendors, have strategies and devices in place to attack, but the task is daunting to say the least.”
It is also noteworthy that the Canalys report highlights the fact that Lenovo has expressed an interest in the acquisition of Blackberry; this will help to encourage its growth and development outside of China. The performance of Lenovo in the quarter also made it the one of the fastest-growing smartphone vendors in the world, according to the report; the company grew 216 percent year-over-year.
A Canalys analyst, Jessica Kwee, stated: “China made up 98 percent of Lenovo’s shipments with a handful of emerging markets making up the rest. Its struggle to gain a foothold in markets outside of China means that it may be forced down the acquisition route – as it was with its PC business – hence the speculation about BlackBerry.” (CY) Link