We all know that Android is the world’s most used mobile operating system, but its scale continues to surprise us.
Speaking during its annual developers conference this evening, Google revealed that its dominant mobile OS powered a stunning 80 per cent of all smartphones shipped in 2014.
Given that Apple shifted a massive 74.5 million iPhones during the final three months of 2014 alone, that means a staggering number of Android handsets must be doing the rounds.
“Android is working at scale,” Sundar Pichai, Google’s Senior Vice President of Products, said.
He added: “
“The breadth and depth of what we see on Android is stunning.”
While the platform powers headline handsets such as the Samsung Galaxy S6 and LG G4, it also runs most of the mobile industry’s mid-range and budget handsets too.
It is this range of devices which has helped accelerate growth, with thousands of different Android devices shipping around the world – including major growth in emerging markets.
“There are over 4,000 different devices you see on Android, and the range of what we see is what we really embrace,” Pichai said.
“When we say be together, not the same, that’s exactly what we mean.
“We want to make sure we don’t leave anyone behind and we make Android in a way they like it so that it works for them.”
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Although we must stress that there is a big different in terms of ‘devices shipped’ and ‘devices sold’, the figures nonetheless highlight Android, and Google’s, continued dominance of the mobile space.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.