iPhone Losing Market Share to Android

Google’s Android operating system is continuing its path to market dominance which is beginning to pose problems for competitors Apple and Blackberry.

New information from IDC indicates that Apple’s share of the global market has fallen to 13.2% in the second quarter. This figure is down from 16.6% from this this same period last year. IDC data also shows that handsets running the Android OS has jumped to 79.3% from 69.1%.

These numbers are very bad for ex-market leader, BlackBerry. Despite the release of several new devices and announcements, BlackBerry only holds 2.9% of the global market share.

Google’s latest strategy is to give the Android OS away for free to device makers and make up the money on associated advertising of these devices. Android is currently being run on industry giant Samsung, and recent deals with Lenovo, ZTE, and Huawei to run the Android OS has helped Google to grab a larger chunk of the market.

Google’s strategy of partnering with other mobile companies is really paying off for them. Apple keeps the iOS  on devices solely made by them. If Apple wishes to remain competitive, they may need to change strategies.