The Android Smartphone market has grown 143 percent since the last quarter of 2009. Now a major Android Smartphone war is set to break out in Australia between HTC and Samsung after the Korean manufacturer yesterday, launched a new Galaxy S Smartphone with Optus.
New IDC data shows that Android-based Smartphones are gaining ground in Australia with Apple and their new iPhone 4 set to come under pressure as consumers are offered a wider choice of brands based on the Google-developed platform, say analysts.
According to Anthony Petts, General Manager of HTC, the market for Android-based phones is growing “significantly faster than predicted” and could soon become a major threat to Apple. His comments are backed up by new IDC data.
“Growth that was predicted for 2011 is now being achieved in 2010. The launch of the new Galaxy S from Samsung will help grow the Android market and this is a good thing. Key to the growth is applications, and we are already seeing a lot of local applications making it onto the Android platform. Google is not a silly company, they recognise that applications have helped grow sales of the Apple iPhone and they are currently working with several organisations to deliver new applications,” said Petts.
“Only yesterday IDC amended their forecasts upwards for Smartphones running the Android platform and what we are now seeing is a move by consumers to upgrade to an Android-based phone because consumers are accepting that the devices now have the features that they want,” he added.
Last month ChannelNews reported that Android-based phones outsold Apple iPhones at Telstra. Now with the entry of Samsung, who is set to spend significantly on the marketing of their new Android offering, sales of Android devices could soar as Optus goes head to head with Telstra in what some phone vendors are claiming could be a bruising Smartphone battle.
Mark Novosel, IDC market analyst, said that the growth for Android had come from a small base. However he predicts that growth will be significant in coming months.
“Android sales were initially slow, it was a new platform and consumers were cautious. Now it is gathering momentum due in part to new phones like the HTC Desire,” he said.
Novosel is tipping that 300,000 Android-powered devices will be shipped before the end of the year.
He said that Q1, 2010, shipments were five times higher than a year ago.
Currently, Android shipments comprise 2.1 percent of the Australian converged device market, and by this time next year this penetration is expected to rise to 8.1 percent.
