Smartphones overtaking feature phones in the US

It took awhile but it looks like smartphones are finally starting to replace the feature phones we’ve been using all this while. According to the results of Nielsen’s latest study, approximately 50% of mobile subscribers in the US owned a smartphone. It’s amazing how in such a short period of time, smartphones are beginning to overtake feature phones that have been around for many years longer. However, while things are looking good for smartphones – not all smartphone manufacturers are reaping the successes.

The study mentioned that 48% of all smartphone owners are Android users, 32% iOS, 12% RIM BlackBerry and 8% owned something in the Other category (i.e. Windows Phone, Symbian). What’s more worrying is that over the past 3 months 48% of smartphones bought were Android devices while 43% were iOS devices. Only 5% were BlackBerry and 4% Other. With over 90% of the smartphone market owned by two platforms, it sure feels like a duopoly being held by Android and iOS. What chances do BlackBerry and the various other platforms out there have against such strong competition?

In the ever changing, fast-paced, world of tech, it’s quite hard to say what’s going to happen. But if things continue playing out at this rate, non-Android/iOS are going to be a pretty rare sight in the future.

George Wong
Categories: Cellphones