The State Of Android - How It's Finally Solving Its Fragmentation And Monetization Problems And Conquering The Planet

Android really is taking over the world.

Google's mobile operating system now runs on 60% of all computing devices in circulation (tablets, smartphones, and PCs combined). That's an amazing feat since it has only been around for six years.

In a new report from BI Intelligence, we take stock of Android-land. We look at the significant progress Android has made in reducing fragmentation and improving revenues for global Android developers, and review multiple sources of data on monetization to gauge the correct size of the revenue gap between iOS and Android, according to five different revenue metrics.

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How did Android get where it is, and where is it headed?

• Android is the most popular computing software in the world, thanks to its dominance in the global tablet and smartphone markets. It's running on 76% of mobile devices and 80% of smartphones. In the same way that Windows software defined the PC era, Android now defines mobile computing.
• Android continues to gain market share overseas, but its growth has completely stalled in the U.S., at 52% of the smartphone operating system market.
• In the last year, Android has made huge strides in solving its interrelated fragmentation and monetization problems. Presently, a plurality of of Android devices, 45%, are running Jelly Bean, the latest and greatest version of Android software.
• When taking into account commerce, advertising, developer fees and app revenue, Android has nearly closed the monetization gap with Apple's iOS operating system. Android developers worldwide earn 90 cents for every 1$ earned by iOS developers, according to the latest data.
• Android apps deliver a massive global audience, and not surprisingly advertising has emerged as the dominant revenue source for Android developers. Google has also tried to give developers more tools to improve their revenue.
• Additionally, Google is solving Android's fragmentation problem (the fact that so many Android users run on old, outdated versions). Google has come up with a clever solution to cut through mobile industry layers by pushing updates directly to Android users through Google-owned apps and mobile services.

The report is full of full-size charts and Excel datasets that can be easily downloaded and put to use. Subscribers also gain access to our chart library of hundreds of charts and datasets on the mobile industry, and receive weekly in-depth reports and daily data-driven stories on the latest mobile trends.

In full, the report:

• Shows how Android has sought to enable carrier billing in world markets to boost monetization on the Google Play store
• Analyzes why Google Play still lags the Apple app store in paid download and in-app purchase revenue
• Explains how Android has become only the third tech platform in history to reach 1 billion users
• Examines the percentage of mobile ad revenue pulled in by iOS apps compared to Android apps
• Reviews device and version fragmentation on Android and explains why they still present a headache for app publishers and developers
• Reviews ad CTRs or click-through rates for Android and iOS app ads
• Explains the interrelated forces behind the monetization gap, including an understandable developer bias toward iOS

For full access to the report on The State Of Android sign up for a free trial subscription today.

Related BI Intelligence coverage:

Android Solidifies Control Over The Chinese Market
Android: A Platform In Transition (June 2012)