Though it is no longer news, Android smartphones and tablets shall overtake Windows devices by 2012, according to a new study by venerable analysts at IDC.
It is expected that Microsoft’s market share, which is 35.9% at the moment, will slip to 25.1% by 2016. On the other hand, Google’s Android running devices shall grab 31.1% of the market share, compared to 29.4% at the moment. Microsoft had unveiled its impressive Windows Phone OS at CeBIT and Mobile World Congress 2012 at Barcelona earlier this year to critical acclaim. However, commercial success of Windows enabled tablets and phones are going to be dismal, when compared with tablets and phones that run on Android.
Android also has the cost advantage, which makes it more accessible to a large segment of the population. The number of apps and the sheer power of Android is enough to make sure that it shall displace Microsoft’s Windows enabled devices even before 2016. If one were to talk about pricey gadgets, Apple’s iOS devices shall grab a market share of 17.3% from the current 14.6%. Thus it looks like the coming years will see more Android tablets and smartphones in the market than any others.
Microsoft may see disappointing sales, while Apple devices shall continue to remain popular among those who are willing to pay more for their gadgets. The markets shall see the emergence of more smart and connected devices which can hold data in the cloud, support 4G speeds and run on more powerful versions of Android in the future, while Microsoft will continue to lose market share in the next 5 years.
Perhaps it is time for you to not only invest in Android devices, but also go ahead and purchase Android shares while you are at it. You might also want to take a look at how Google has managed to trounce all its competitors including Microsoft in this Interactive Infographic. It reveals the evolution of Google from being a small company to becoming the leading Internet and technology leader.
