Analysts at Informa Telecoms & Media have calculated that sales of phones powered by Google’s Android OS may overtake Apple’s iPhone by 2012. A large part of this equation had to do with hardware developers depending on open-sourced software as a way to save money during the manufacturing process.
Once the market-leader in smartphone OS usage, Symbian has fallen to less-than-half market share over just a few years. This is surely partially due to Nokia’s poor performance, but the advancement of competing platforms also plays a role.
For the first time ever, smartphones have outsold notebook computers. This may symbolize a public’s need to have a more portable device on the go, and a more powerful desktop computer at home. Robust platforms like Android, Symbian, Windows Mobile, and OS X Touch will begin to emerge as the preferred way to access data while away from the home or office. With no ties to specific hardware or carrier, Google could take a huge bite out of the market with the Android platform.
[via vnunet.com]
For casual users, however, a smartphone is an attractive replacement for a laptop if only checking e-mail and IMs while on the road.