Data & Research

Android forks rank as #2 global OS thanks to China and India

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Android forks rank as #2 global OS thanks to China and India

While Android's global dominance in 2013remains unquestioned, ABI Research has shared some new figures that put the 79 percent market share in a new light.

These figures show that the main growth Android experienced in 2013 came from 'forked' or non-official Android operating systems - up 137 percent year-on-year - mainly in China, India, and other emerging markets.

Forked Android phones accounted for 25 percent of the total market share in Q4 2013, while certified Android commanded 52 share of the same quarterly market.

This takes the bloom off of Android's rose somewhat, as forked Android phones don't offer Google the same potential for return as certified handsets do as they don't ship with Google Play or other official services. 

All forked up

ABI Research's Nick Spencer, senior practice director, underscored this point while commenting on Android's global presence.

"The growth of AOSP [forked Android] is significant for Android's owner Google, because AOSP does not offer Google's services (due to their unavailability in China), impacting Google's ability to monetize the Android ecosystem."

[source: ABI Research]

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