2013 smartphone shipments breakthrough 1 billion Android exclusive 78.6%

A Wednesday report by IDC, a market research firm, reported that the global smartphone shipments broke through 1 billion in 2013, driven by continued growth in shipments of Android and iOS devices. In the fourth quarter of 2013, Android and iOS devices accounted for 95.7% of total smartphone shipments, up from 91.2% a year earlier, and Android and iOS devices accounted for 93.8% of smartphone shipments throughout 2013, IDC said. than the 2012 's 87.7%. In its report, the firm reported that Android smartphones shipped 226.1 million units in the fourth quarter of 2013, up 40.3% from 161.1 million a year earlier, with a market share of 78.1%, up from 70.3% a year earlier. Throughout 2013, Android smartphone shipments totaled 793.6 million units, up 58.7% from 500.1 million a year earlier, with a market share of 78.6%, up from 69% a year earlier. Samsung Electronics is among Android smartphone makers, and 2013 accounts for 39.5% of total Android phone shipments. In its report, IDC also noted that Huawei became the world's second-largest Android smartphone maker in 2013, but Lenovo's Android smartphone sales in 2014 were expected to overtake Huawei if the company's deal to buy Motorola Mobile was approved. The iphone, with its iOS operating system, had 51 million shipments in the fourth quarter of 2013, up 6.7% from 47.8 million a year earlier, with a market share of 17.6%, less than 20.9% a year earlier. Throughout 2013, the iphone shipped 153.4 million units, up 12.9% from 135.9 million a year earlier, with a market share of 15.2%, less than 18.7% last year. IDC noted that while the iphone remains a popular product in the smartphone market, Apple was criticized in 2013 for failing to launch a cheap iphone or a large-screen iphone. IDC believes Apple will launch a big-screen iphone this year, but will not give up the 4-inch product line. Smartphones with Windows Phone operating systems accounted for 8.8 million shipments in the fourth quarter of 2013, up 46.7% from 6 million a year earlier, with a market share of 3%, up from 2.6% a year earlier. All in 2013, Windows phone shipped 33.4 million units, up 90.9% from 17.5 million a year earlier, with a market share of 3.3%, up from 2.4% last year. IDC noted that Nokia was the top of the Windows Phone smartphone maker, accounting for a 89.3% share of the market. The 2014 watch will be how to upgrade Windows Ph after Microsoft completes its acquisition of Nokia handsetsOne market share. BlackBerry's total shipments in the fourth quarter of 2013 were 1.7 million, down 77% from 6.7 million a year earlier, with a market share of 0.6%, less than 3.2% a year earlier. Throughout 2013, BlackBerry shipments were 19.2 million, down 40.9% from 32.5 million a year earlier, with a market share of 1.9%, less than 4.5% last year. In the report, IDC said the smartphone market, which sold for less than $200 in 2013, was booming, with shipments reaching 430 million, which accounted for a 42.6% share of the market. IDC believes that Samsung Electronics is by virtue of the high-end, midrange and low-end areas of the battle, so that the company has become a leading smartphone market.