When Google acquired Android Inc. in 2005, no one could have predicted the success story it would go on to become. With the 2008 launch of the HTC Dream, the first commercially available handset to run Android, Google’s operating system went from strength to strength, slowly but surely biting into the Apple market share. According to a recent Guardian report, about 42 million Android devices were activated in December alone, suggesting that there are now just less than 280m active Google Android devices worldwide – that’s 47% of the market share. [1]

Of course, we’re not just talking about mobile phone devices. Now tablets and e-readers account for a huge share of tech sales, and with a number of tablets running the Android OS stealing customers from Apple’s rival iPad, there is no doubting that Google Android is packing a huge punch in the market. But why? Here’s what we’d put Android’s success down to:

ANDROID

Google released the Android code as open source, and it is this that lies at the heart of the battle between the Android OS and Apple’s iOS. Unlike Apple, with Android, compatibility is the name of the game. The so-called ‘Android Open Source Project’ (AOSP) is led by Google, with “the goal to create a successful real-world product that improves the mobile experience for end users” and ensures the continued compatibility of all Android devices. Google also heads up the Open Handset Alliance (OHA), a consortium of 34 companies, including HTC, Sony, Dell, Intel, Motorola and Samsung, committed to developing open standards for mobile devices.  On the surface of it, the majority of users won’t even be aware of the open source nature of Android. However, for a number of reasons, it has a profound effect on the service they receive:

- Fast reactions

There is a huge community of developers able to write apps that extend the functionality of Android devices. So instead of just one company working on the code, an unlimited number of people are able to do so, meaning that open source software tends to be more secure than proprietary software because thousands of developers are monitoring the code every day. As a result bugs in the software are quickly fixed.

- Creativity

The open source nature of Android means that developers’ creativity is encouraged rather than quashed. Working with the open source Android code gives developers a huge amount of freedom to produce exciting new apps.

As of October 2011 there were more than 400,000 apps available for Android, and the estimated number of applications downloaded from the Android Market as of December 2011 exceeded 10 billion [2,3] – a measure of the popularity of Android with developers and customers alike, and therefore with brands interested in investing in apps.

- Freedom

So long as the user gives approval at installation time, Android apps are free to do whatever they want, i.e. ‘accessing the internet’ or ‘reading the state of the phone’. Apple apps, on the other hand, are tightly restricted – they are not allowed to communicate with each other for any reason, or run in the background. The increased functionality granted to Android apps, makes the possibilities for developers and users far more wide-ranging than their Apple counterparts.

APPLE

However, Apple is still indisputably a world leader in the tech field and still boasts the largest market share. So how can Apple fight back against the attack of the Android?

- Love

Apple has the so-called ‘sticky factor’ – the addictive desirability of its products that keep customers coming back to them time after time because they love the brand.

- Money-making

Whilst the open source Android offers many advantages to developers, Google has not yet made an app market that makes publishers more money than Apple, so developers are continuing to pick iOS over Android because it is here that they can make the most money.

- Upgrade time

The upgrade path from developer to user is much shorter for Apple users. Android upgrades have to go from Google to the phone manufacturers to the carriers to the devices, whereas iOS upgrades can be sent from Apple directly to devices. As a result, Android users can’t get an upgrade until they buy their next phone, whilst Apple users don’t have to wait.

- Innovation

If there’s one thing that Apple represents, it’s innovation. The consistently exciting new Apple releases, such as Siri, iCloud, iTunes Match and iMessage, ensure the successful future of Apple. As long as people still believe they are getting the latest, and the best, from Apple, they will continue to remain loyal members of Team Apple.

So when it comes to one of the biggest battles of the 21st century tech world, one that defines and divides the tech universe, there’s a real dichotomy – and the choice is yours. Whilst Apple is all about making it as easy as possible for the user, Android’s motto is “it’s your phone, you have the right to do whatever you want with it”. The choices they make over the next few years are critical for both operating systems. Will Apple endeavour to let go of the reigns a little and increase compatibility? Will Android be able to improve its ‘sticky-factor’ so that customers come back time and time again? We don’t know, but it’ll certainly be an interesting ride.

[1] http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-12-30/tech/30571342_1_android-platform-smartphone-windows-phone#ixzz1ihCS2ozs
[2] http://www.t3.com/news/android-market-reaches-500000-app-mark
[3] http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/12/10-billion-apps-detailed/

Phillippa Holmes
Account Executive, Golley Engage

Marketing spin or reality, time will tell but one thing is for sure, whether you are the worlds largest corporation, or a new start up, putting your customer at the heart of your business and letting them collaborate with you, your brand and the way in which you do business with them is the only successful path in the future

How agencies and consultancies react and enable this process of collaboration between Brands and consumers is still a big question, one that many agency networks have not even thought of let alone started to solve……coming out of recession it will be interesting to see which agencies revert back to the old way of working and which take the brave new path.

Chris Lovell, Group CEO