Latest Gartner Report Has Android Closing in on Symbian for World Domination

Android is closing in on Symbian as the number one mobile operating system in the world.  Whereas the third quarter of 2009 saw Android at 3.5 percent market share, today sees the platform at 25.5 percent of worldwide smartphone sales.  While nearly every platform increased in volume as compared to last year, Android is the only OS to increase its market share.  In other words, green robot momentum continues to build at the expense of everyone else.  

To be fair, the third quarter of 2009 didn’t have much in the way of handset choice.  Looking back, we essentially had the G1, myTouch 3G, and Hero to choose from.  It was not until the Droid was released in November that the floodgate really opened up.

With less than ten million handset separating Symbian and Android, things don’t look too bad for us.  It seems every day has some sort sort of announcement, leak, or release to help the cause.

The report also shares a few interesting details as to how the growth is accounted for.  Gartner estimates that Android phones made up roughly 75 percent to 80 percent of Verizon’s smart phone sales over the third quarter.  Samsung’s Galaxy S series continues to do well at the higher end of the spectrum while new, low-priced devices are introduced.  Look for Android’s dominance to continue with the release of phones that hover between the {content}- price range.