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Comment by dannyr | Hacker News Reader

Ah, I still remember when the 1st Android phone came out (G1). A lot of people were dismissing it because the IPhone had a 2-year head start. Interface was ugly, phone is thick like a brick, only on 1 carrier, the smallest of the Big 4 at that.

Well, how did that turn out? Android is selling more than the IPhone.

A proper tablet OS didn't arrive until last month and people are already saying it's almost too late for Android to catch up with the IPad.

Alright, people will say that it's not the same. But I believe the barriers to entry to the table market is lower than that of phones since manufacturers do not really need carrier approval. Once Google refines the Android tablet OS, I can't wait to see what manufacturers can come up with.

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You're right, it isn't the same. This analogy would make sense if Apple was exclusively selling the iPad through their retail stores alone (and maybe a partner, say Target) whereas all other stores (BestBuy, Staples, etc.) were selling Android tablets exclusively.

Google (and manufacturers) need to move with their tablets and get them at prices people feel comfortable purchasing them fast. Otherwise, iPads will become the next "iPod" where your average consumer associates tablet/slate pcs with an iPad.

> Android is selling more than the IPhone.

I'm pretty sure they aren't selling anything. Ask Detroit about making up for no profit on volume. Android is being propped up by Google search revenue.

Not sure you can lump all Android phones together against the iPhone. To me it seems Android is now the new baseline. All phones to come out from now on have to be at least this level or they won't sell. Google has now given each carrier the possibility to hit this baseline with relative ease compared to the past.

A fair comparison would be if Apple licensed iOS for any manufacture to put on their phones. Then it would be an apples to apples comparison.

Right now people are comparing a licensed OS with an unlicensed one.

Not selling more in Europe where Apple dominates. The only Android device cracking around here is the Galaxy Spica, not quite the same league as the iPhone.

IDC predicts Android to be the second best selling smarphone OS in Europe Q1 2011, that is, now. The first is, of course, Nokia which undermines your claim that Apple dominates on a second level. (Also, in the UK RIM is, somewhat inexplicably, the premier choice for young people and recently overtook Apple's web market share).

I was unclear: I meant iPhone (20%, +6%) vs Android (11%, +10%). Not saying Android won't pass, but I see it more like Q4-2011, 2012 even. Mostly depends on Apple's strategy notably WRT entry-level devices: phones like Spica are really appealing price-wise, especially when they're sold with small contracts (sometimes less than half the price per month of high-profile smartphones like the Galaxy S, Desire HD or the iPhone). Nokia's decline is staggering and unless they build up steam quickly with WP7 I see them in troubled waters.

Data source comScore: http://www.comscoredatamine.com/2011/02/smartphone-operating...

That said, I actually encountered more WinMo6 devices than Symbian ones (read: not much). Really don't know where they hide. Lots of "dumb" (mostly old) Nokia phones though.

Is that marketshare or sales, it's not clear? Marketshare naturally lags sales e.g. in the US Android took the sales lead in August and the marketshare lead December/January.

I see they've got an entry from yesterday about Android overtaking iPhone in January for the US market so it looks like their figures are talking about marketshare, not sales:

http://www.comscoredatamine.com/2011/03/android-takes-lead-i...

Where in Europe? Do you have a link to numbers? Apple don't dominate in Sweden at least. http://feber.se/android/art/199920/android_nu_strre_n_iphone...

Now that iPhone is available on Verizon also, let's wait a few more months to see which way US market share (Android phones vs. iPhone) goes.

Great for everyone, except those of us who were stupid enough to buy the G1...

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