It seems like the cries of “Android is winning!” have died out as of late, but let’s not let that stop us from mocking them into much-deserved oblivion. We’ve already shown how “winning” just market share is a pretty poor measure, but could Android’s much-ballyhooed market-share acceleration be slowing?
Horace Dediu provides some graphs in his piece “Trouble with the robot?” that might cause chafing in Mountain View.
First of all, not to tell Dediu how to do his job, but the Macalope would have gone with “Having trouble with your droid?” which is a direct quote from Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back which, everyone agrees, is the best movie of the Star Wars trilogy. (Yes, trilogy, shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!)
Now, Dediu lives in Finland, so maybe this is simply a translation error, but any time you can quote Lando you should take the opportunity, because if there’s a truism in life it’s that people love Lando.
Particularly the ladies.
And also the men.
It should be noted that the data here is from comScore which, as far as reliable sources for market share go, is in the category professional statisticians call “meh.” If it’s correct, however, it looks like Android’s stalled, if only temporarily.
Here again we see the lowest user growth for Android since 2009 (and hence since it reached mainstream distribution.)
It’s perhaps too early to suggest that we’re seeing a slowdown in the US for Android. Perhaps there will be a return to growth in the fall. The concern has to be that rather than seeing the net adds growing–as they have for two years with only two contiguous months of decline–Android net adds have been falling for four months.
Hang on a second. Isn’t this June? Let us consult the ol’ calendar and, yes, by gum, it’s June, which is the month that Google CEO and noted whack-a-doodle Eric Schmidt predicted mobile developers would magically start shipping for Android first. Why? Because of the powerhouse that is Ice Cream Sandwich, that’s why. Hey, how’s Ice Cream Sandwich doing, by the way?
It’s up to a lackluster 7.1 percent installed base since its release last fall. The Macalope is legally required to play a sad trombone here. You understand that it’s not something that he, as an unabashed Android basher, wants to do, it’s just something he’s legally required to do.
Wah-wah-waaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh.
Well, OK, what about in the tablet space HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ahhh the Macalope can’t even pretend to ask that with a straight face. It is so laughable that he literally had to type out his laughter, his hooves so taken by the mirth as they were.
“iPad Remains Dominant in 1Q’2012 While Kindle Fire Fizzles” (tip o’ the antlers to The Loop)
Apple continued to lead the market with nearly 65% of worldwide units and surpassed 67 million cumulative shipments in its first eight quarters of availability.
Well, enjoy it while you can, Apple fans. All of that turns around this month.
Somehow.
[Editors’ Note: In addition to being a mythical beast, the Macalope is not an employee of Macworld. As a result, the Macalope is always free to criticize any media organization. Even ours.]