If you’ve ever wondered why app developers tend to release for either iOS or Android, or maybe both, it is because these two platforms are the largest at the moment, and a recent report from the IDC seems to confirm that. According to the IDC, they found that in 2014, Apple and Google’s combined market share was sitting at the 96% mark.This is the combination of Google’s market share which is at a staggering 81.5% and Apple’s 14.8%. The remaining platforms from Microsoft and BlackBerry accounted for 2.7% and 0.4% respectively. Now it is clear that Google’s Android platform is in the lead, but the IDC claims that despite Google’s lead, Apple is said to be raking in 90% of the industry’s profits all the same.
According to IDC research manager Ramon Llamas, “Many of the same drivers were in play for Android and iOS to tighten their grip on the market. A combination of strong end-user demand, refreshed product portfolios, and the availability of low-cost devices – particularly for Android – drove volumes higher.”
This isn’t to say that other platforms are performing badly, in fact Microsoft’s Windows Phone lineup has a couple of hits too, like the Lumia 520 which topped carrier charts and was found to be the most popular Windows Phone handset around the world.