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koolbreez
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19 November 2012 AFP
Google’s Android is eating Apple’s lunch
SAN FRANCISCO: Smartphones and tablets powered by Google’s Android software are devouring the mobile gadget market, eating into Apple’s turf by feeding appetites for innovation and low prices, analysts say.
The Android operating system powered nearly three out of four smartphones shipped worldwide in the recently ended quarter as the mobile platform dominated the market, according to industry trackers at IDC.
‘‘Android has been one of the primary growth engines of the smartphone market since it was launched in 2008,’’ said IDC’s mobile phones research manager Ramon Llamas.
‘‘In every year since then, Android has effectively outpaced the market and taken market share from the competition.’’
In tablets, Apple’s market share has fallen to just over 50% from 65% in the second quarter as Android devices gain ground, according to IDC figures.
‘‘Having a lot of people building a lot of things covering a lot of price points with multiple brands in multiple places makes a big difference,’’ said NPD Group analyst Stephen Baker.
‘‘Variety is strength when it comes to moving units.’’
Android smartphones shipments surged to 136 million, topping those in the same three-month period last year by slightly more than 90%, IDC reported.
Samsung’s Galaxy S3 overtook Apple’s iPhone 4S in the third quarter to give the South Korean firm the world’s bestselling smartphone model for the first time ever, according to research firm Strategy Analytics.
‘‘The pace of innovation in Android is faster than Apple,’’ said Gartner vicepresident of mobile computing Ken Dulaney. ‘‘They are just trying harder; Apple is way behind in that area.’’
Android is benefiting from being an ‘‘open-source’’ platform that gadget makers use free of charge and improve as they deem fit, providing Google with insights along the way.
Apple tightly controls its products from the software to the hardware and even the online shop for music, books, games or other content.
‘‘What you get with Android is this incredible feedback loop with developers, equipment makers, customers, and designers,’’ Mr Dulaney said.
‘‘At Apple, as long as they have a great vision internally it is fine but they don’t have the feedback Android does.’’
Having thousands of different Android devices vying for consumers’ cash is a strength when it comes to market share but puts hardware makers into a fiercely competitive arena, Mr Baker noted.
‘‘Other than Samsung, I don’t know if other Android guys are making money,’’ the analyst said.
Google gives Android away free, but the platform is crafted to make it easy for people to use the California internet titan’s money-making services such as search and maps, and get content at its online Google Play shop.
Forrester analyst Charles Golvin said that forces powering Android momentum include changing demographics of smartphone buyers.
Early adopters of smartphones focused more on new technology than on price, but the devices have gone mainstream with cost increasingly important to shoppers, according to Mr Golvin.
‘‘People are more inclined toward the Android platform because there is more choice and most of that choice is low price,’’ Mr Golvin said.
The open nature of Android and the myriad models offered by gadget makers serve as a ‘‘double-edged sword,’’ warned the analyst.
Apple pushes annual updates of iOS mobile operating system out to its devices, while new versions of Android hit more often but must get through hardware makers and telecom services to get onto people’s handsets.
‘‘You have this lengthy chain of intermediaries who are delaying the delivery of that new software and its innovations to existing devices in the market,’’ Mr Golvin said.
He backed his point by noting that many Android devices in use still run on generations-old versions of the operating system.
Android gadget variety can also make it tough to design accessories or even ‘‘apps’’ that can be used across the array of devices.
For its part, Google has done an excellent job of improving the ‘‘ecosystem’’ of music, films, apps, books and more available for Android-powered devices, according to analyst
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 6:12 pm on Nov. 18, 2012
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DaffyDuck
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Quote: from koolbreez on 7:12 am on Nov. 19, 2012
Google’s Android is eating Apple’s lunch
Broken record - continuing to confuse "shipping" with "sold".
Anyone with deep pockets can ship millions, to be returned and written off after 120 days on shelves - they aren't doing anyone any favors if they are sitting on shelves, unsold.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 11:50 pm on Nov. 18, 2012
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localguy
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1. I put you on ignore for good reason.
2. Don't ever send me another PM.
3. You are a pathetic attention monger.
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 5:08 am on Nov. 19, 2012
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koolbreez
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Denial has been the downfall of so so many corporations, and stockholders. Market share is not determined by units shipped, it is based on actual sales.
A 15% drop in market share can easily explain the drop in stock price, not profit grabbing. Stockholders are not loyal, they fly away at the very first signs of trouble, and a 15% drop in market share signals trouble.
That is more logical than simply sluffing off stock price drop as profit taking. Corporations don't like stock prices to go anywhere but up, especially an ego driven corporation like Apple.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 6:53 am on Nov. 19, 2012
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dirty guru
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Ok let's be big boys and put the bitching aside for a second...
What are the current facts?
Clearly Daffy, competition is very much alive...from what I researched on various sources.
( As I tap this out on my Apple I Pad )
Seems I came across this accurate fact that suggests Samsung is making gains..
However, what killed the story fro me, and made this debate seem silly was the massive difference in market share still.
Clearly one product still stands alone as most successful....
Recently IDC released its Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker report and the findings of the study suggest that Apple should start looking out for Samsung in this space too. To date Apple has the highest market share in the tablet space, but the share is falling gradually. Over the past few quarters Apple’s market share has dropped, from 59.7% in Q3 2011 to 50.4% in Q3 2012. This obviously comes as excellent news for Google. The online search provider has already gained a dominating position in the smartphones OS space, and now with Apple’s tablet market share being reduced to 50%, Google’s share in the space increased and now accounts for the remaining
Source market share November.
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 3:31 pm on Nov. 19, 2012
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thailife
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well, I am an Apple fan, but I now have a Galaxy 3..... had it for a while... and you know what? It is a fine phone.....
2 or 3 years in mobile is a lifetime..... Be carefull when crowning Apple...... no one has stayed on top of this game long term....
What's next in mobile? Think about it.... look where we came from in the past 5 years.....
Mind control smart phone? YES.... on it's way folks.......
Think about hwoever gets those patents.... it's things like this that will change the landscape going forward..... Hey, maybe a smart phone that attaches to your ear and certain brain waves control the phone.... ummmm... that technology is already here.... I know a company doing that.....
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Bangkok Women : Meet Beautiful Thai Girls
Posted on: 4:29 pm on Nov. 19, 2012
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Edge
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I hear ya guys. For me, I come to Thailand for a good time. Girlz, party time, good mates etc. I do not use much tech when on the fun run.
I do like tech and have a few apple products but I also like the Galaxy tab. Whatever turns you on...but I d find that I want more gadgets than I need.
I do find more pussy more fun though.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 7:39 pm on Nov. 19, 2012
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CalEden
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Quote: from localguy on 3:08 am on Nov. 20, 2012
1. I put you on ignore for good reason.
2. Don't ever send me another PM.
3. You are a pathetic attention monger.
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Thai Girls : Meet Active Thai Girls
Posted on: 10:59 pm on Nov. 19, 2012
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localguy
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^^^ no offense to the rest of the board, that was directed to one specific wanker on this forum...
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 2:32 am on Nov. 20, 2012
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DaffyDuck
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Quote: from localguy on 6:08 pm on Nov. 19, 2012
1. I put you on ignore for good reason.
2. Don't ever send me another PM.
3. You are a pathetic attention monger.
Sorry, busted!
You don't receive PMs when you have the other person on ignore.
I guess you're just another one of those guys who, unable to back up your original foolishly made allegations, just ducks out pretending you never made them.
Bwahahahahaha! How much more sad and pathetic can you possibly get.
Oh, right, pretending to have someone on ignore, and getting caught with your pants around the ankles of that lie! Right! Haha, funny!
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 3:31 am on Nov. 20, 2012
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