Skip to Content

iOS and Android Combine for 96.3% Smartphone Market Share in Fourth Quarter

The latest numbers from research firm IDC reveal that the smartphone market continues to be a largely two-horse race between iOS and Android, which accounted for 19.7% and 76.6% market share in the fourth quarter respectively. The mobile operating systems combined to dominate Windows Phone, BlackBerry and all other platforms with 96.3% market share during the three-month period ending December.

IDC Q4 2014 Smartphones
iOS increased 2.2 percentage points to 19.7% during the fourth quarter over its 15.1% market share in the year-ago quarter, while Android experienced a marginal year-over-year decline as its market share slipped from 78.2% to 76.6%. Apple shipped a record-breaking 192.7 million iPhones during 2014 on the strength of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, while overall Android device shipments on the year surpassed the 1 billion mark.

IDC Q4 2014
Android and iOS continue to dominate the smartphone operating system race, resulting in a smaller battle between Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Firefox OS and less popular platforms for third place. Windows Phone and BlackBerry were the closest runner-ups to iOS and Android, claiming 2.8% and 0.4% market share in the fourth quarter respectively to close out 2014. All other platforms held 0.6% market share on the year.

Tags: Android, IDC, iOS

Popular Stories

iphone fold text

iPhone Fold Crease Measurements Revealed as Device Hits Production

Wednesday February 25, 2026 5:37 am PST by
Apple has submitted production line orders for its upcoming foldable iPhone, effectively confirming that the device will launch this year, claims a Chinese leaker. According to the Weibo account "Fixed Focus Digital," assembly lines recently received the orders from Apple, which has apparently allowed the leaker to learn the crease measurements for the device's 7.8-inch inner display....
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Leaker Says Apple's Lower-Cost MacBook Will Have These 8 Limitations

Wednesday February 25, 2026 9:25 am PST by
Apple is expected to unveil its long-rumored lower-cost MacBook next week. Given it will be more affordable, this MacBook model will obviously have some reduced specs and compromises compared to the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. While we are still waiting for Apple to announce the new MacBook, a leaker has shared eight alleged limitations to expect, based on an internal version of Apple's...
m3 macbook pro blue

M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro: What to Expect

Wednesday February 25, 2026 3:02 pm PST by
Apple is working on a new MacBook Pro that could launch next week ahead of the "Special Experience" planned for March 4, so we thought we'd highlight all of the rumors about the device so far. Design There are no rumors of design changes, and we are expecting the upcoming M5 MacBook Pro models to look just like the M4 versions. Apple will continue to offer 14-inch and 16-inch size options,...

Top Rated Comments

tennisproha Avatar
144 months ago
Android has that big of a market share? everywhere I look I see iPhones now
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleScruff1 Avatar
144 months ago
Apples has 97% of the profit too. Lol


And that's what consumers care about, a company that makes a huge profit at their expense. I hope gas goes up to $5 a gallon too!
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
144 months ago
And Apple bundles it's own crapware.

Apple's "Crapware" doesn't interrupt my web browsing, or auto-install more crapware when I click the "No" button, or beg for money, or insist that a virus will empty my bank account.

Apple's "crapware" plays music, shows me stock prices and the photos I took, and tells me what the weather is like.

Big difference.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleScruff1 Avatar
144 months ago
19.7% of the market yet 93% of the profits. BAM!

And that's number one on every consumers mind. :rolleyes:
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleScruff1 Avatar
144 months ago
I guess if you wrap money around your Android phone to sell it then you will get market share at the cost of declining or zero profit.

And now I see all kinds of deals in the making to fill Android phones with the same type of crapware that is choking every Windows PC.

You can take the flip phone out of the trailer park, but...

And Apple bundles it's own crapware.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleScruff1 Avatar
144 months ago

Profitability is sustainability. Google is losing money on Android, and especially if Samsung begins putting Tizen on the Galaxy line as has been repeatedly rumored, Android is in big trouble.

Hopefully your landlord raises your rent or your bank increases your mortgage interest rate so it can maintain sustainability. Ditto for your insurance company, power company, cable company, cell provider. And also your healthcare,and supermarket too. If we're going to brag about and support big profits, let's make it universal.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)