Smartphone makers riding the Android wave

Manufacturers seeing soaring sales on back of Google OS

Smartphone manufacturers such as HTC and Samsung have seen a significant boost in sales after adopting the Android platform, according to new figures from iSuppli.

The research firm said that shipments of HTC handsets rose by 63.1 per cent during the second quarter of 2010, while Samsung saw a 55.6 per cent rise.

Sony Ericsson came in fourth in terms of growth with 15.4 per cent, followed by Motorola with 12.5 per cent.

"Every brand that has put effort into designing smartphones using Google's mobile operating system is riding the Android wave," said Tina Teng, senior analyst for wireless communications at iSuppli.

"From the spectacular growth of HTC and Samsung, to the steady advances of Motorola, Android is the secret sauce for smartphone growth for many companies in 2010."

Nokia and RIM continue to lead the way in terms of global market share with 39.7 per cent and 18.5 per cent respectively.

HTC's share rose to eight per cent in Q2, up from 5.3 per cent the previous quarter, allowing the company to solidify its number four position in the market, iSuppli said.

Samsung's market share rose to 4.6 per cent, up from 3.2 per cent in the previous quarter, mainly on the back of its Android-based Galaxy S smartphone.

However, Samsung devices such as the Wave, which incorporate the manufacturer's own Bada platform, have so far failed to make a big impact, the research firm noted.

ISuppli also said that, while Motorola's growth appeared to be modest, the manufacturer experienced five consecutive quarters of growth starting in the second quarter of 2009, and has outgrown the overall smartphone market for the past four quarters.

Apple, meanwhile, suffered a four per cent drop in smartphone shipments in the second quarter, in what iSuppli deemed a minor setback. This decline was put down to the transition from the iPhone 3GS to the iPhone 4.

The iPhone 4 received much negative publicity over its reception problem, but iSuppli reported that Apple also had trouble keeping up with demand, resulting in the small decline in shipments.

Apple's share of smartphone shipments fell to 13.9 per cent in the second quarter, down by nearly two per cent on Q1, but the company maintained a firm grip on third place in the global smartphone market.

Despite proving popular with consumers, Android is still being beaten hands-down by iPhones and iPads when it comes to enterprise adoption, according to a report from Good Technology.