Analytics firm GfK came out with a report saying that the Google-owned mobile operating software Android now powers most smartphones in the country with a commanding 82.2% market share.
Android OS enjoyed a near threefold rise from 2011, officially dethroning a long-time market leader and competitor for the first time in history.
Reacting to the report, Smart Chief Wireless Advisor Orlando Vea says: “Filipinos have spoken and they have chosen Android.” Smart has been offering the widest selection of Android devices in the Philippines, which is partly to blame for the Android explosion.
GfK’s study further reveals that despite average smartphone prices being pegged below Php7,500, close to 95% of these are equipped with High Speed Packet Access Plus (HSPA+) technology similar to more expensive handsets.
HSPA+ allows for speeds of up to 21Mbps making it the ideal connection technology for multimedia-capable mobile devices. With such bandwidth, mobile users can surf the web, upload photos, and download their favorite mobile apps and movies seamlessly and hassle-free.
“Smart has more than 1,500 HSPA+ sites nationwide covering all major Philippine cities and municipalities,” said Vea. “What’s more, we are the only telco that offers this cutting edge service in dual band making it more reliable and stable compared to the competition,” he added.
Despite the Android’s phenomenal growth however, Vea highlights that there is still much ground left to be conquered. The GfK report shows that regular feature phones still have a 70.6% stronghold of the market while smartphones, though improving quickly, are relegated to a 29.4% slice of the pie.
It is in this light that Smart has created Smart Developer Network (also known as SMART DevNet), a program that encourages local apps development for mobile using various programming languages and platforms. It aims to be a catalyst for the development of a vibrant developer community, creating apps for the benefit of smartphone users.
“Smartphones have come a long way, but for us to realize our vision of putting the power of the Internet into the hands of every Filipino, we will need to be more aggressive,” he said. “We believe that Android will help us lead the charge,” he ended.
