Android to rule smartphone market with 85% share in 2020 says IDC report

Google's Android is slowly eating into everyone's share of the smartphone market, reaching a dominant position. Its share is expected to touch 85% in the next four years, says a report.

The International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, 2015, says the total volume of smartphone shipment in 2020 is expected to touch 1.92 billion, and more than a billion smartphones would belong to Android. The shipment number denotes the number of smartphones brought into a market before they are sold in the stores.

"Android shipments will grow to 1.62 billion in 2020, and its share of the smartphone industry will grow from 81% to 85%. The biggest volume opportunity for Android is clearly within the low-cost space," noted the report.

Among other platforms, Apple's iPhone is expected to ship over 269 million phones in 2020, accounting for 14% of the overall volume. In 2015, Apple iPhones shipped 231.5 million smartphones growing by more than 20% from a year ago.

"Apple was able to grow its ASP [average selling price] from $663 in 2014 to $713 in 2015. The continued upgrades to the newer, pricier iPhones were the primary catalyst for increasing ASPs at a time when the majority of the market is chasing low-cost models," said Ryan Reith, programme director for the report. I believe Apple's move into the trade-in business with its 'Trade Up with Installments' program is aimed at further increasing churn in some of its most lucrative markets despite the high penetration rates."

Among the large screen devices or phablets, both platforms Android and Apple will grow from around 20% in 2015 to more than 30% in 2020.

Microsoft owned-Windows Phone, however, would continue to fight for market share as its shipment numbers declined by 18.5% in 2015 to 11.1 million units, and around 95% of that volume was from Microsoft or Nokia devices. Its downward trend is expected to continue.