Android Market Share and Other Statistics for 2024

Android is the most used OS in the world.

Even Windows lags behind the widespread adoption of the functional smartphone platform owned by Google. iOS is not even close.

When it comes to mobile devices, Apple has gained some ground over the last couple of years but Android still powers about 75% of all smartphones and tablets.

Crushing.

But market share doesn't do justice to the utter dominance of Android.

Let’s be honest – it’s an Android and iOS world, we just live in it. The two cutting-edge smartphone operating systems have the leading market shares. And that’s so easy to prove. The guy next to you is probably surfing the Web on his fancy iPhone or browsing social media on the newest Android device.

But what was thought for years to be Apple’s domain might just prove to be an Android-dominated world.

Fascinating Android Market Share Statistics

Take a look at a few facts about the huge market share of Android :

• Android has a share of  71.77%, while iOS accounted for 27.6% of the mobile OS market.
• There are more than 2.5 billion android active users in more than 190 countries.
• A total of 1.57 billion Android devices sold in 2022, up from 0.98 billion as of 2021.
• Android accounted for 44.86% of the mobile OS market, while iOS accounted for 54.74% as of January 2023.
• 97% of smartphone malware targets Android phones.
• Android sales are rising in the US, Europe, Japan, India, and China.
• Samsung’s market share in the US was 28.57% in 2023, which is raised from 26.45% in 2022.
• Android’s share of all known devices was 70.97%.

General Android Market Share Facts

1. Android OS has a 71.77%  mobile operating system market share as of January 2023

(Source: Stat Counter)

According to the Android vs. iOS market share in 2022, Android had 72.32%, while iOS garnered 27.03% which is a decline from around 75% Android market share, while the increase in iOS market share from 23% as of 2019.

2. There are more than 2.5 billion Android users worldwide.

(Source: BusinessofApps)

Android has continued to grow at a remarkable rate through its popularity in developing countries. In Brazil, India, Indonesia, Turkey and Vietnam, Android has over 85% market share.

Android annual active users 2014 to 2022

3. There are 133.4 million Android users as of 2022 in the US.

(Source: Statista)

Since 2019, the number of American consumers using Android devices has seen a steady increase. By 2019, more than 80% of US smartphone users opted for an Android operating system and this number has raised to 131.2 million in 2021, up from 129.1 million users in 2020. When compared to worldwide usage, has also grown steadily since 2014 and stands at 87% which is increasingly drawn towards the features and convenience that Android offers.

Android Active Users in the US (2014 - 2022)

4. Android TV OS has over 110 million active users.

(Source: TechCrunch, 9 to 5 Google)

As of January 2022, the total number of Android TV users worldwide is over 110 million and is set to expand considerably in the next few years. With Sony and Hisense announcing new Google TV models, Android smart TV sales are estimated to hit over 10 million annually.

5. A total of 1.57 billion Android devices sold in 2022, up from 0.98 billion as of 2021.

(Source: Statista)

The number of Android devices sold worldwide between 2019 and 2022 reached a total of nearly 2 billion, with approximately 1.3 billion being sold in 2019 alone. As of 2021, it accounted for 0.98 billion which is up from 1.05 in 2020.

Android shipments will hold 86.2% of the market share, while iOS will be left with 13.8%. This number is expected to reach 87.4% by 2023.

Android annual shipments from 2014 to 2022

6. The best-selling Android smartphone in 2022 is Samsung’s Galaxy A52s 5G.

(Source: CounterPoint Research)

With Western Europe being its biggest market, the Galaxy A52s 5G has continued to lead the list of the top 10 best-selling Android 5G phones for six consecutive months.

7. Samsung is the biggest manufacturer of smartphones in the world.

(Source: Oberlo)

Recent predictions show that Samsung will ship up to 276 million units in 2022. This is proof of consistent growth from the 263 million and 267 million units it sold in 2020 and 2021

Apple is the second-largest manufacturer, with a prediction of 243 million unit sales in 2022. Xiaomi is also expected to ship 220 million devices by the end of 2022, while Oppo and Vivo’s sales are estimated at 208 million and 149 million units, respectively.

8. Samsung’s mobile vendor market share in the US was 28.56%, as of January 2023.

(Source: Stat Counter)

Mobile vendor market share accounted for an average of 26.45% for Samsung in 2022, which is raised from an average of 25.67% in 2021.

However, with 57.77%, iOS still dominates the market share in America. Motorola comes in next with 4.59%, while LG and Google followed with 1.68% and 2.11%, respectively.

Vendor Market Share Worldwide (January 2023)

9. Version 12.0 of Android had a 25.1% market share.

(Source: Stat Counter)

Version 11.0 which is having the second-highest market share of 23.03%  in 2023 

The 13.0 version came in third place with 11.84%, while position four went to the 9.0 pie 8.61%.

10. 95% of Android users are between the ages of 18 and 49.

(Source: Statista)

Recent statistics show that almost 60% of US smartphone users own an Android device. 

Analysis of usage by age group reveals that 18-24 years make up the largest portion of Android users at around 70%. They are followed by 25-34 years with 65%, then 35-44 years with 58%.

The 45-54 years demographic is split evenly between iOS and Android, but interestingly, people aged 55 and over show a preference for iPhones with 56% using them compared to 38% using an Android device. 

11. The majority of Android users are male. 

(Source: Earth Web)

Recent data about Android use shows that 57% of Android users are male, while 43% are female.

12. Android users are more likely to look for discounts than iOS users.

(Source: Earth Web)

 According to research, only 25% of iPhone owners report looking for discounts when making a purchase compared to 57% of Android users.

13. By 2025 Android penetration rate in Latin America will raise to 73%

(Source: Sensor Tower)

Since 2019, the smartphone penetration rate in Latin America has maintained a constant value of 69%.

14. There are 3.48 million apps on Google Play Store.

(Source: App Inventiv)

The total number of apps downloaded annually from the google play store is accounted to 64.6 billion mobile apps and 3,739 apps are added to the store each day. 

15. 75% of Android devices are more vulnerable to cyber attacks than iPhones.

(Source: Kaspersky)

Although all smartphones can be affected by malware, Android phones are considered more vulnerable. That’s because Android is an open-source OS, meaning anyone can modify it freely. If there are errors, hackers can easily find and exploit them to attack users’ devices.

Fun Facts About Android

The Android story is not as straightforward as you may think. Some curiosities and surprises surround the OS.

1. Android was not originally made by Google.

Android was bought by Google from a company called Android Inc (bet ya didn’t expect that one). The company was founded in 2003 by Andy Rubin, Rich Miner, Chris White and Nick Sears.

2. It is based on the Linux operating system.

It wasn’t intended as a smartphone operating system. In fact, it was originally designed as a digital camera platform. Guess back then no one expected Android will have such a huge market share just a few years later.

3. Except for the first two, all of Android’s other operating systems are named after sweets and desserts.

And they are also alphabetical.  We have Cupcakes, Donuts, Éclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, Jellybean, KitKat, Lollipop, Marshmallow, Nougat, Oreos and Pie.

4. If you go to Settings and continuously press the version number in the ‘About’ section, you will uncover a secret Easter Egg.

Here’s something you can’t find on iPhones or Windows phones.

But frankly, I think Oreo’s special surprise is a bit creepy.

5. Android means “male robot”.

While we can use "android" to reference robots with human features in general, a robot that resembles a female can also be referred to as a "gynoid".”

6. China banned Google Maps, Gmail, and even restricted some of Google’s search functions, which made it the only market not ruled by Android.

We already dipped our toes into this topic and mentioned that China and Google are waging their own private Cold War, with China blocking or restricting most of Google’s apps.

There’s more:

China also blocked Google+, Google Hangouts, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Pinterest, and many more. The Chinese government doesn’t want foreign tech companies spying on them and collecting data from their citizens. There are currently Chinese alternatives for all the famous sites, apps and productivity tools, such as Baidu, Youku, Blogcn, WeChat, Weibo, etc.

The impressive Android stats fall short of worldwide domination.

7. Android was actually a nickname given to Andy Rubin.

His former colleagues at Apple called him “Android” because of his love of robots. Turns out, he doesn’t only like working with them, he likes building them. There’s the story of a giant robotic arm he build in his spare time in Building 44, Android’s dwelling place at Google’s campus. The purpose of this arm? Making Andy coffee.

Good luck getting on that level.

8. Android’s logo was inspired by a bathroom sign.

The green robot logo was designed by Irina Block. Where do you think her inspiration came from? Bathroom door signs. Bet you can’t unsee it now.

We hope we provided you with some valuable insights about Android’s marketing share and that you found our fun facts as entertaining as we did. See you soon!