ABI Research reported that 302 million smartphones shipped in 2010, a 71 percent growth over 2009. As smartphone sales have increased, so has Android's share of the marketplace. According to the research firm, approximately 69 million smartphones running the Android OS shipped in 2010, and by 2016, the research firm predicts Android will represent 45 percent of the market. Part of that growth will be due to the disappearance of the Symbian operating system; Samsung's Bada and BlackBerry are also expected to enjoy some growth for the same reason.
Elsewhere, comScore released data reporting findings based on a survey of 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers in the U.S. during the three-month period ending February 2011. The study revealed that Samsung is the top handset manufacturer with 24.8 percent market share and Google Android enjoyed a 33 percent market share.
With regard to the growth of other mobile operating systems, ABI Research predicted that Apple will also enjoy some growth in the coming five years. The company held a 15 percent market share in 2010 and, by 2016, is forecast to have a 19 percent market share. Although RIM, which had 16 percent of the market in 2010, is expected to lose 2 percent of that share by 2016, that loss doesn't represent decreased shipments but simply a smaller portion of a burgeoning consumer market.
Samsung's newly introduced Bada may reach a 10 percent market share by 2016, from its current position of 1.5 percent share. Windows Phone 7, however, has a steeper incline and must achieve success with its Nokia channel to reach a 7 percent market share by 2016.
