It’s no secret that the Android OS is being included on an increasing number of handsets. It seems like nearly every manufacturer wants to try it out at least once, and a few of them, namely HTC and Motorola, have drank from that well multiple times. Via Boy Genius Report, we get a closer look at exactly how much these Android-toting companies have grown so far in 2010.
Shipments are up big time overall, 56.7 percent year-over-year. That’s 54.7 million devices from January through March 2010. HTC, one of the manufacturers most commonly employing Android, grew 71 percent over the first quarter 2009. They could see even larger growth in the second quarter with the addition of the Droid Incredible, which has seen immense popularity in its limited time on shelves. We also have the EVO 4G to look forward to.
Another multiple-Android manufacturer, Motorola, has shown impressive results so far. They increased shipments 91 percent. The original Droid remains popular on Verizon, and Motorola could introduce a few more Android handsets this year to help beef up its portfolio. It expects to ship 12-14 million Android handsets this year.
Apple, of course, remains Android’s biggest competitor. Research In Motion actually saw a decline in BlackBerry shipments year-over-year, but it has also held back a number of its handsets for second- and third-quarter releases. Apple, however, increased its shipments 131 percent this year. That will certainly grow even more later in the year, when the company plans to introduce the iPhone 4G.
It’s a great time to be a smartphone manufacturer, as Motorola, HTC, and Apple can tell you. That market has absolutely fueled wireless handset growth. The overall sector grew only 21.7 percent during the first quarter, so the 56.7 percent growth from smartphones represents a large portion of that. It makes me wonder how away we are from the majority of cell phone users owning smartphones.
