Android has increased its lead over Apple’s iPhone as Australia’s first choice in smartphone technology.
According to a study by research firm Telsyte, the Google operating system has pulled further away from Apple with a commanding 51 per cent of Australia’s 16 million smartphone user market.
The iPhone’s popularity has shrunk further, now holding 42 per cent of the market share, down from the 44 per cent it held of Australia’s 2010 10-million smartphone using population.
But Apple will be hoping to even the numbers with the expected September release of the iPhone 6 featuring a larger screen more comparable to the Google product. Reports last week from Bloomberg claim Apple production in China is working on both a 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch version of the iPhone 6, an increase on the current 4-inch iPhone 5.
“Some 40 per cent of survey respondents that intend to purchase an iPhone 6 indicated they would only consider it if it has a larger screen,” Telsyte Managing Director Foad Fadaghi said.
Android and iOS currently dominate the smartphone market, leaving just a seven per cent share to competitors Windows, Blackberry and the now defunct Nokia Symbian.
Telsyte also estimates a further 5.6 million new smartphones will be sold in Australia in the second half of 2014 while 1.5 million new users will join the market, taking the country’s smartphone population to around 17.5 million users from a population of 23.5 million.
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