Google's Android and Apple's iOS have combined to downright dominate the smartphone market, but it's Google's mobile operating system that continues to make its presence felt, according to new data from research firm IDC.
During the second quarter, over 255 million Android-based devices shipped worldwide, representing an 84.7 percent market share, IDC reported on Thursday. Apple's iOS came in second place with 11.7 percent market share and 35.2 million shipments. Combined, the Google and Apple operating systems own 96 percent of the global smartphone market, according to IDC.
Vendors shipped a total of 301.3 million smartphones worldwide between April and June, said IDC.
"It's been an incredible upward slog for other OS players," Melissa Chau, a senior research manager at IDC, said in a statement. "Windows Phone has been around since 2010 but has yet to break the 5 percent share mark, while the backing of the world's largest smartphone player, Samsung, has not boosted Tizen into the spotlight."
Windows Phone was only able to nab 2.5 percent of the market in the second quarter on 7.4 million shipments. Blackberry came in fourth place with 0.5 percent share, according to IDC.
During the same period last year, the Android and iOS combined to own 92.6 percent of the space. Still, IDC's study shows further consolidation in the marketplace and even more power for Google.
During the second quarter of 2013, Android owned 79.6 percent of the worldwide smartphone market, meaning Google's software saw a 33.3 percent growth rate over the last year. Save for iOS, which saw shipments jump 12.7 percent year over year, all other operating systems' market share fell during the period. Android's success during the period had everything to do with its value for budget-focused device makers, according to IDC.
"With many of its [original equipment manufacturer] partners focusing on the sub-$200 segments, Android has been reaping huge gains within emerging markets," Ramon Llamas, research manager with IDC's Mobile Phone team, said in a statement. "During the second quarter, 58.6% of all Android smartphone shipments worldwide cost less than $200 off contract, making them very attractive compared to other devices."
Looking ahead, things don't appear to look any better for other operating systems. IDC says that Android's iron-like grip on the sub-$200 market will only boost its market share in the coming quarters. The research firm also believes that software developers will drive more customers to iOS and Android as they see little value in creating apps for less-popular platforms.
"The biggest stumbling block is around getting enough partnerships in play - not just phone manufacturers but also developers, many of which are smaller outfits looking to minimize development efforts by sticking to the two big ecosystems," Chau said.
