Android vs. iOS Market Share: Apple the Overwhelming Choice for Enterprise Users
Google's Android mobile operating system may be the undisputed overall market share king of 2013, but Apple's iOS is still the operating system of choice when it comes to business. According to a new Good Technology report, iOS handily defeats Android when it comes to enterprise usage.
The report reveals that Apple iOS activations made up 73 percent of total enterprise activations during the 2013 fourth quarter, while Android activations merely stood in at 26 percent. Apple's iOS made up 72 percent of enterprise activations in Q3 2013 and 69 percent in Q2 2013. This all leads to the entire list of top ten enterprise devices being populated by the Cupertino giant. Android, meanwhile, experienced a percentage point drop each successive quarter. Still, Android's enterprise market share is 3 percent higher than during the same period in 2012.
The most popular type of enterprise device turns out to be iOS smartphones (the iPhone). Total Q4 2013 iOS smartphone activations accounted for 54 percent of the enterprise market, slightly higher than the third quarter.
"From a device perspective, we continued to see an increase in iOS activations this quarter, which we can attribute to two new iPhone models coming to market just before the start of the quarter," reads the report's executive summary.
Android smartphones, on the other hand, accounted for just under 25 percent of total Q4 2013 enterprise activations.
On the tablet side, iOS tablet activations are in a current state of decline. While iOS tablets accounted for 22 percent of total enterprise activations during Q3, their impact fell to 19 percent during Q4. Android tablets, however, make up only a slim portion of total enterprise activations.
Within the tablet market itself, the iPad wins by a landslide, landing 91.4 percent of Q4 activations. Android was found to be responsible for only 8.6 percent.
The report also found that enterprise app activations grew 54 percent from Q3 to Q4, a noticeable improvement from the 43 percent growth between Q2 and Q3. Overall, enterprise activations grew 34 percent from Q1 to Q4.
"The continued momentum around enterprise app growth is a testament to organizations recognizing the power of mobile applications as a collaboration and productivity tool," reads the report.
Custom app development within the enterprise sector grew 55 percent from quarter to quarter, an improvement from the already-impressive 52 percent growth experienced from Q2 to Q3. Document editing apps remain the most popular.
The fourth quarter of 2013 also marks the first time that the energy and utilities sector broke into the top ten list for industries with the most enterprise device activations. Good Technology cites the growing concern about cybercrime as being the driving force behind the sector adopting more mobile technologies.
Due to lack of access to BlackBerry records, Good Technology did not include them in the report despite BlackBerry still being a popular operating system within the business world.
While exact figures vary, the scenario between Android and iOS is vastly different when it comes to mobile usage not restricted to enterprise. A Strategy Analytics report found Android to own around 79 percent of the market share in 2013, and a similar Gartner report concurs. Apple's iOS was found to have only garnered 15 percent of the market in 2013, despite having a strong finish to the year thanks to the new iPhone models.
Which operating system do you prefer to use for your business needs? Android or iOS? Let us know which one and why in the comments section below.