Saturday 24 August 2013

Popularity of Android market, boon to someone, bane to others.

Popularity of Android market-boon to someone, bane to others. 

Android is undoubtedly the most buzzing word from across the world. It has not just thwarted the likes of once popular Symbian-Nokia platform, BOS-Blackberry's operating system, IOS-I-phone operating system and many such technologies.No wonder today many of the leading smart phone brands have ventured into Google powered Android powered technology. Reality bites state that Android has now captured 95% market share from it's closest competitors within no time. With the increasing popularity over the years, there's no doubt that all smartphones as well as small sized bar phones also will be operating under this technology and there would be a market dominance.
               Let's now have a facto-figure run for the boom of Android platform over the world. The know-how of what's Android and its booming shot to fame is as shared below:
A) If we do a know-how on how Android powered system came into existence is that till the early 2007, mobile application/tech gadgets ran on Java based platforms which largely started to decline as for the limitations like poor quality user interface, unavailability of free online purchase store to download variety of things on go like games, application, access TV channels on go etc.
B) So a team of researchers, software developers, application developers and scientists came into foray and with Android Inc started in 2007, developed Linux based operating system coined as "Android", which was later taken completely by Google. 
C) With the amalgamation of both these giants, first Android powered phone was launched in 2008 with launch of HTC dream which became an instant hit as one was able to download scores of games, applications and many other things apart from being able to even browse TV on go not available till that time on other operating system.
D) Since 2008, Android which has now been powered by Google has seen in numerous updates, new powered features and off course the code names given for Android platforms are based on sugary delights or desserts like the first one churned out from Android platform was named as Android 1.1 version, cupcake, donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, and latest entrant to power Android based devices is Jelly Bean. 
E) However as usual competition was so intense at initial stages that Android received a lukewarm reaction from closest competitors or likes of Nokia, Microsoft who even doubted this competition with comments like  Nokia was quoted as saying "we don't see this as a threat", and Microsoft mobile operations head stated as " don't understand the impact that they are going to have".
We all know what's happening today to the dominance of these once market leaders. Android's dominance in this operating system space is such that besides capturing a large chunk of mobile, smartphone market, it's now on the very heights powering even smallest "bar mobile phones" from leading brands like Samsung, LG, Sony etc.
            It has pushed mobile market giants "Nokia" to phase out the Symbian powered mobiles and completely refurbish, redesign a new operating system to power present mobiles to face intense competition and Microsoft's next gen windows mobiles are not doing well either as they are only powering higher end smartphones in price range as high as Rs.30 k's to 50 k's way behind one's imagination. However Android market is quite a large as they are available as low as Rs. 1,999 viz $30.97 (USD) to even Rs 50 k's viz $774.73.
Isn't this just amazing??

            Android's hottest cake "Jelly bean 4.1 to 4.7 versions" have taken away major chunk of mobile market from their closest competitors or likes of Windows powered smart phones like Nokia Lumia's, Samsung's Omnia etc to name a few. Such is the supremacy of Android market, that with an official press statement from Google Inc, headquarters from California, that a bigger, bright and next gen Android 5.0 prototype (Lime Pie) is up for release anywhere by late 2014 or early 2015, it has driven mobile marketers to go frenzy over the news. Speculations are that Nokia, Microsoft and other companies who took it lighter has known the serious impact it can cause. Therefore they are on a launchpad for making a new windows platform exclusive only for smartphones.

          There's no tip off that besides world is geared up with increased smartphone wars, fewer know that there's a kind of grand Operating system war which is going side by side. Until now Android has survived the scare and even tipped of other market giant operating war. But the question is "Can it budge the trend and be at numero-uno position and if so for how long?". However as an avid smartphone enthusiasts like me or perhaps others who used to be hooked once upon a time on the average yet stylish Nokia bar phones or smart phones running on Symbian system, with advent of Android market that mentality has completely gone for toss and changed the way mobile market looked.
           So from my end it's a big thumbs up for this little marvel "Android"! I hope that the small robot- mascot of Android will ever remain upbeat and never diminish it's value.

From
An avid technology lover and next gen Android smart phone user.     


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