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Research firm Canalys has announced very good news for Google. According to their research, in Q4 2010, 32.9 million Android devices were sold compared to Nokia’s Symbian which sold 31 million. No doubt Android has had a bigger reach than even Apple, which remains in the number three spot. That’s because their software is not device-specific, rather than freely available to any manufacturer.
Android’s popularity has helped many companies be brought back to life, such as Samsung with their wildly popular Galaxy series. This includes the tablet market, where Android is slowly chewing away at Apple’s profits, as their market share has decreased from 95% to 75% according to Strategy Analytics.
Google’s CEO has mentioned that their focus for this year will be their app store, the Android Market, where Apple has been its most successful. Google plans on making changes to the Market, including decreasing the time of returning a paid app and providing an in-app payment system.
Meanwhile, Nokia announced a bleak Q4 report and looks like they need to change their strategy quick. Many are saying that in order for Nokia to become viable once again, they might have to bring Android to their handsets. Nokia has long resisted going that route but there is a possibility that that announcement is around the corner as the new CEO, Stephen Elop, will be announcing a new “software strategy” for the mobile giant.
What do you guys think? Is this a smart move on Nokia’s part or are they too late to make a comeback?
Source: Reuters