Android share in Asia may hit 52% before year-end

Smartphones powered by Google's Android may make much out of the telecom boom in the Asia-Pacific and grab up to 52 percent of the smartphone market share there before yearend, a research firm predicted. ABI Research said smartphone shipments in Asian markets will see a boost for Android-based smartphones, with market share increasing to 52 percent in 2011, up from just 16 percent in 2010. "As a result, the combined market share of Samsung and HTC, the leading Android-based smartphone makers in Asia, will swell from 11 percent in 2010 to 24 percent in 2011. Riding on the success in the low-end handset segment, new players like Micromax, Karbonn, and G’Five are also striving to make their presence felt in the smartphone segment with their 'value for money' smartphones," the group said. But it added the smartphone market in Asia is likely to see turbulence soon as these mobile phone makers up the ante to increase their smartphone market share. ABI said the telecom boom in the emerging markets of the Asia-Pacific is expected to continue in 2011, and will drive the total mobile subscription rate in the region to grow by more than 15 percent. It added the mobile market in the Asia-Pacific still has the potential to grow at more than a 10 percent rate for the next two years. The smartphone market is also expected to have healthy growth, with 24 percent share in total handset shipments in 2011, up from 17 percent in 2010. ABI noted smartphone shipments in Asia will see a significant growth of 56 percent in 2011, which indicates the growing demand for smartphones in emerging Asian markets. Tablets Jeff Orr, ABI group director for mobile devices, said Asian markets are proving to be a hot spot for media tablets as well. “With an estimated 7.8 million media tablets shipped in 2011, media tablets are an important constituent in the ultra-mobile devices (UMDs) category," he said. He said the UMD category also includes ultra-mobile PCs (UMPCs), mobile Internet devices (MIDs), and netbooks. “Despite the current global economic situation, markets in the Asia-Pacific will continue to see increased acceptance for media tablets, driven by the accelerated penetration of 3G in emerging markets, as well as the availability of media tablets in lower price ranges," he said. — TJD, GMA News