Thanks to Qualcomm’s highly integrated mobile platforms that enable hardware makers to pump out devices running Google’s free to use Android operating system faster than you can say datacap, there’s a flood of smartphones hitting the market at price point that just a few years ago seemed impossible. The bean counters at GfK Retail and Technology, who have been keeping track of the UK market, say that last month total phone sales fell by 1.8% compared to the same month last year, but that 48.7% of all handset sold were smartphones. If you look at the contract market alone, meaning those folks who pay less up front for their gear, but are locked into a 12 month or longer relationship with their operator, that number spikes up to 83.1%. It comes as no surprise then that 34.1% of all smartphones sold last month run Android, making it the top operating system in one of the world’s largest wireless markets. That represents a growth of 810% year on year, back when Android had only 6.6% of the market to themselves.
This trend is only going to accelerate thanks to the pace of innovation that’s occurring both on the hardwar and software side of the mobile industry. Something like the HTC/Google Nexus One, which was a flagship device less than 16 months ago, is going to be available for less than 250 Euros in a year or two. Whatever Google will churn out next is also going to be equally impressive since they seem to make progress by leaps and bounds with every release, despite OEMs getting a bit miffed that the devices they launch are already outdated by the time they reach a store near you. Whether or not you like Android, the OS is now the baseline experience that people expect out of a mobile phone. This baseline used to be talk and text half a decade ago, now it’s one of the most feature rich platforms on the planet. Watch out Apple, Microsoft, and Nokia.