It was a milestone quarter for Google’s Android operating system.
The IDC reported Wednesday that global smartphone shipments in the third quarter of 2013 were heavily skewed in favor of Android.
Data published in the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker reveals that 211.6 million smartphone units shipped during the quarter, and Android accounted for 81.0% of them.
This marks the first time that Android’s market share topped 80% in its short history.
Despite high saturation rates in a number of mature markets, the overall smartphone space grew 39.9% year-over-year in the third quarter.
“Android and Windows Phone continued to make significant strides in the third quarter. Despite their differences in market share, they both have one important factor behind their success: price,” said Ramon Llamas, Research Manager with IDC’s Mobile Phone team. “Both platforms have a selection of devices available at prices low enough to be affordable to the mass market, and it is the mass market that is driving the entire market forward.”
