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Navigating Android: Expect a big year from the Galaxy S3 and the Nexus 7
December device marketShare data from W3i which includes my predictions on how the device marketshare will break down in 2013.
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Navigating Android: Expect a big year from the Galaxy S3 and the Nexus 7
The time has come for another update on the state of Android device market share. Since everyone has been waiting eagerly to find out which devices gained market share over the holiday season, I will dive right into it. Please note, this data is based on the Daily Active Users (DAUs) from W3i’s network of Android gaming apps, in December 2012.
Top 10 Android Devices
Top 10 Android Devices Chart
W3i’s Daily Active Users grew by 37% in December over November. This was likely caused by new device activations and much needed vacations/breaks. As you can see above we have a new leader in device market share! The Samsung Galaxy S3 was knocking on the doorstep last month but it finally overtook its predecessor the Galaxy S2 during the holidays.
The newcomer to the group is the Nexus 7 tablet which rose quickly in December to the number 7 spot just below the Galaxy Tab 2, the only other tablet on the list. Mixing high quality hardware with a the low price tag of $199 made the Nexus 7 an ideal gift this holiday season and it showed in this month’s rankings.
Now let’s break down the top devices by operating system:
Samsung Galaxy S Android
More Galaxy S3 users rolled over to the Jellybean operation system this past month, growing by 7% from November.
W3i Android Market Share
The results above differ slightly from what Google is reporting in their developer portal because this data only includes games.
Developer Portal Market Share
Being that we just started a new year, I will spell out my 2013 predictions for you:
Nexus 7 will continue to climb and eventually overtake the Galaxy Tab 2 (7”) in January. Don’t expect it to be challenged from another Android tablet this year!
Samsung Galaxy S3 will hold the top spot throughout 2013. There are rumors of the S4 releasing in May but the majority of early adopters are still enjoying their 2-year carrier contract with the S3.
Sony will completely drop off the charts and will not recover for the remainder of 2013. Along with Sony, LG will fail to chart with a non-Nexus phone.
HTC will be making a big push this year for new phones considering they lost market share last year. I expect to see them replace 1 or 2 spots in the charts, quite possibly with the M7 which is rumored to release in February or March.
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