For the first time since 2007 RIM was not the #1 in US smartphone sales. Don’t for a second think it was Apple, rather Android stands #1 in Q2 2010 sales. Numbers from NPD group show Android accounted for 33% of U.S. smartphone compared to 28% and 22% for RIM and Apple respectively. I am not overly shocked as Android devices released almost every other week in Q2 2010. The Motorola Droid, HTC Droid Incredible, HTC Evo 4G, HTC Hero, and HTC Droid Eris ranked amount the hottest Android devices. On the other hand the was not RIM’s quarter for new devices. HTC must be laughing all the way to the bank.
It will be interesting to see where the unit sales end up for year end, but it is amazing to see the success of Android. I personally want to see if Android remains ahead of iPhone in Q3 given the release of iPhone 4.
Now before you go jumping off a bridge you have to read the fine print of the NPD report as it reveals something interesting. Here let me make it larger for you.
Data Note: The information in this press release is from Mobile Phone Track – NPD’s consumer tracking of U.S. consumers, aged 18 and older, who reported purchasing a mobile phone. NPD does not track corporate/enterprise mobile phone purchases.
Yeah, so one of the larger markets that RIM focuses on is not accounted for here. It is like tracking PC sales and saying, lets not count business sales. This does highlight consumer demand and RIM is trying to address this trend.
Considering the numbers have always been reported this way it is still a huge event, but keep in mind we are ignoring a large portion of sales. So you be the judge of what the numbers mean.
[Source NPD]
Hello:I point out that Nielsen had the RIM and
Android percentages roughly reversed for the
second quarter.You can search for the reference.
I assume this is the Nielsen Report you’re talking about.
I was not clear on a couple things. They talk about subscribers but I was not clear if the number was consumer or consumer and business. Valid point. I tried to avoid mixing NPD and Nielsen numbers as I have seen on some sites.
Consumers are seeing that absent BBM, the BB is simply not a consumer device. The other guy can do it better and consumers are starting to see that.
it isn’t a market that blackberry have fully embraced and as such are palying catch up. I do feel the blackberry has definitely made an impact for being such a “mediocre”, “boring”, “ugly” phone.
It is what it is. It excel at phone calls, reception and build quality. It’s software security is second to none and the OS isn’t to shabby but it does require work which OS 6 brought to the table. its not the overly processed change that webOS or windows 7 mobile is but then again they did not have to do such a radical change. I do predict them moving to something even more different come storm 3 and im sure they’ll have plans locked in for blackberry 7. in the mean time, I’m happy with the hybrid phone that is the torch though it does lack a lot that could have impacted a lot more on consumers but again it is the core business market they do not want to lose which is vitally important and is yet mentioned in this survey – which is a nice point, thanks webmaster 😛
As has been said many times all over the web, RIM is trying to build upon that consumer experience and rid the tag that i mentioned earlier and as such i feel they have gotten back into the bout… the torch will sell well but it could have been even better, esp if open gl was present – casual games is a big market!
Also android being software and open source at that is a brilliant thing for google and for hardware manufacturers and as such, how can this be surprising anyways… there are many android phones on the market and with the community and positive reviews flowing back it was no wonder a big chunk was sealed in the consumer market.
But i know the android pleases me but again im all for the main reasons for getting a phone – communication and RIM has finally answered that with OS 6 – web browsing 🙂
Just get it up there with video and gaming and the apps will begin to flow nicely!