Competitors gaining on the iPhone
Apple's (AAPL) iPhone still has what Net Applications describes as a "commanding lead" in the smartphone search market, but its competitors are gaining fast, according to preliminary data issued overnight Tuesday.
When Net Applications issued its first survey of this market last month, it reported that nearly two out of every three Web searches conducted from a mobile phone in February were made from an iPhone. As Net Applications measures it — a big caveat (see below) — the iPhone's share of searches dropped in March to 63.41% from 66.44%.
This does not mean that iPhone Web browsing is shrinking, the Web metrics firm notes, because the overall market is growing rapidly. (link)
But it does mean that Google's (GOOG) Android, Nokia's (NOK) Symbian and Research in Motion's (RIMM) BlackBerry — in that order — are catching up, although none has yet managed to grab more than a 9% share.
Android's growth is particularly striking: up 2.31 points, or 36%, in one month. (See the chart below for the full results.)
The BlackBerry, which was consigned to the catch-all "other" category in February, finally emerged in March as a line item of its own, but with only a 2.69% share.
How can the iPhone's share be so high and the BlackBerry's so low?
As we pointed out last month, the fact that it’s easier to surf the Web on an iPhone is only part of the answer. A more important reason emerges from Net Applications’ description of how its surveys are conducted:
“Our mobile share methodology measures share for browser capable mobile devices. This means the mobile device must be able to render HTML pages and javascript. Visits to WAP pages are not included.” (link)
WAP (for Wireless Application Protocol) was the Web browsing standard for BlackBerries and other mobile phones – famously dismissed by Steve Jobs as the “baby Web“ — until the iPhone came along and offered a Web browser with HTML and Javascript.
In other words, Net Applications is judging the race for mobile Web dominance using the rules set by the iPhone.
The results of the February and March surveys are summarized in the chart below. To learn more about Net Applications, click here.
See also:
Back to reality for the iPhone fanbois.
Did I miss that Apple is going to buy and run their own wireless network? Apple will always need to rely on the carriers. You would hope once LTE (read 2-3 years for major build out) is the standard they can reach agreements with all major carriers similar to Blackberry but that is asking much considering what at&t gave up.
Apple is also not reeling in anything with the corporate sector as they provide no mean to effectively manage and secure the iPhone. Many states will soon require device level encryption and due to no background processing – Apple doesn't allow it or have a means to encrypt. Sure it will someday but Blackberry provides this already and providing the AppStore is not high on enterpirse lists of mission critical projects.
In case you havn't left your Apple field of reality lately Apple still has their static 8-11% market share.
Apple fanboies greatest miscalculation is that everyone wants Apple products. RIM's latest quarter shows the market is bigger then Apple.
Isn't it common sense the iPhone market would eventually shrink? Ford Motor Company had near 100% market share in 1908, but guess what – as more car makers started to appear Fords lead shrank (now look at 'em).
As more 'touch/app/html/multi-media' oriented Smart Phones arrive, the iPhone market will shrink. But it will likely still lead for quite a number of years, as they do with the iPod. Apple has the genius of maybe not being first to market & introduce 'new' items, but they are ALWAYS first to market them well and design them and offer options no other company has. Then all the other companies play catch-up after Apple has already built an immense lead.
With the latest SDK, the slew of new game and app developers and the rumored new hardware, I honestly believe Apple is going to leave it's competitors in the dust.
Apple controls everything, from hardware, the media content (music, games, movies, TV, podcasting of news and educational materials) and OSX Mobile OS and has it linked with all it's desktop and laptop computers and likely in the future, even AppleTV. Apple Retail Stores will promote everything for Apple.
Apple has the field covered so thoroughly from top to bottom it would almost be impossible for the other mobile platforms to keep up. Apple will only have to reel in the corporate sector and victory will be complete. Apple's potential is downright scary if the iPhone could be used with other carriers in the U.S.
Once WIMAX or LTE becomes standard, Apple could practically stand on it's own by being freed from the carriers.
Look at the product development of the iPhone. Apple releases the iPhone…everyone tries to catch up. The second generation is released, Apple still in the front of the pack. Now competitors are gaining again, just before iPhone 3?
Gaining? That's the real distortion field. I'd love to have those odds at the track.
I am willing to bet that if WAP is included, Apple would not be #1 overall. I'd have to go with Blackberry on that. Too many corporate users making searches on it.
Hell, i just got a Bold and I'm on it all the time.
Good call on the apps though. The more targeted apps are out there, the less searching will be done.
The handset industry, like most other industries, is heavily influenced by introductions of new models. Since the iPhone 3G release in July, all of the others have released new phones with non-baby browsers. Thus, they will gain back some share. If 37% is the best they can do competing against the now aging iPhone, Apple will be very happy with that. We'll see the other end of the range in July/August after the next-gen iPhones are released.
@ David Sachdev
You said: "To have left that [other, non-standard web access] out of this article shows that the author does not completely understand the space."
I disagree. The author here is merely reporting on the Net Applications survey that has been published. This is a survey where the scope is made very clear. It is up to the readers to understand this scope and limitations, and then assign to the data the significance that he/she feels is appropriate.
I view this as a very rough indicator of relative market share, BUT at the same understand that this is NOT what it represents. It's significance, like all the web usage surveys, is more in the changes over time than any particular numbers. Also, I discount small changes that do not persist or become a trend.
This is not a surprise, really. When iPhone came out, it was virtually the only phone with real browser capability – certainly the only one (I think) with a 3 inch screen. So naturally it leapt to the top. But this is not the Music Player industry. The cell phone market was an established industry with well entrenched players capable of responding and also had a built-in limiting factors (other carriers, demands of corporate players, etc.)
So It is natural that Apple will have to share more of this market than the music player market, especially as these new devices come on line.
But the chart actually illustrates a point that I made several moths ago. The iPhone has 60+ %, and the remaining less than 40% us shared by 6 other players. This is great for Apple. The iPhone will continue to dominate, it will continue to be the "gold standard" by which all others are judged, and the competitors will will be relegated their various shares of the 40-50% of the market. Now if you are a developer, for which platform will you choose to develop?
This leaves out all the of "internet" activity that is being conducted on Applications such as the iPhone…and I think it is pretty easy to see that Apple is winning that race at the moment.
As more Apps – Facebook, Myspace, Twitter clients, Bloomberg, Maps, etc become available less of the mobile Internet traffic is happening over the browser, and more is happening on targeted apps that enhance the experience and drive their own revenue stream.
To have left that out of this article shows that the author does not completely understand the space.
Are you seriously saying that WAP is decent enough to be measured, versus the ability to render HTML pages and javascript?
Would be interesting to see actual WAP numbers vs "proper" web pages.
The iPhumb shall be taken down from it's ivory tower by the ZunePhone!
http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com/