Android: Difference between revisions

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==Consumer impact summary==

~~Google~~, ~~as the developer~~ of Android, ~~has faced scrutiny over privacy concerns~~, ~~short software support lifespans~~, ~~patent disputes~~, and anti-competitive ~~behaviors~~.~~{{Citation needed}}~~

With over 3.5 billion active users, open-source flexibility, affordability, and extensive device ecosystems continue to shape consumer behavior, regional adoption, and technological advancements.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=G |first=Nick |date=September 4, 2024 |title=Android Market Share in 2025: Global Dominance and Key Insights|url=https://techjury.net/industry-analysis/android-market-share |website=TechJury |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250629102621/https://techjury.net/industry-analysis/android-market-share/ |archive-date=June 29, 2025 }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=Trend of Newly Released Android |url=https://www.accio.com/business/trend-of-newly-released-android |website= |archive-url= |archive-date= }}</ref> Android’s global reach, affordability, and device diversity make it the preferred OS for billions, particularly in emerging economies. It remains the world’s most widely used mobile operating system, but its dominance has been accompanied by controversies from security vulnerabilities and privacy concerns to accusations of anti-competitive behavior and declining open-source commitments.

~~Google encourages~~ the ~~use~~ of ~~their [~~https://~~developer~~.android.com/~~google~~/~~play~~/~~integrity~~/~~overview Play Integrity API]~~, ~~a mechanism for~~ Android ~~applications to detect whether they are running on a non~~-~~OEM version of Android~~. ~~This is employed mostly to prevent~~ users ~~from running~~ Android ~~versions~~ with ~~anti-consumer features removed~~, i.e. ~~ads~~ and ~~unconsented data collection~~. ~~For example,~~ the ~~Android YouTube app which leverages~~ the ~~API to detect whether it has been patched to remove ads~~, ~~in which case it will refuse to play back videos.~~

===Global market share===

Android remains the world’s dominant mobile operating system (OS) as of 2025, holding a 72.23% global market share compared to iOS with 27.39%.<ref name=":0"></ref>

*Asia & Africa: Android dominates with 95.16% in India, 86.8% in Indonesia, and 80.88% in Africa due to affordability and device variety.<ref name=":0"></ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last1=Qadir |first1=Salam |last2=Shaikh |first2=Sohaib |date=April 20, 2025 |title=Android vs iOS Statistics 2025: Users, Revenue, and Global Trends |url=https://www.tekrevol.com/blogs/android-vs-ios-statistics/ |website=Tekrevol |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250515022542/https://www.tekrevol.com/blogs/android-vs-ios-statistics/ |archive-date=May 15, 2025 }}</ref>

*North America: Android holds 45% market share, trailing iOS (57.68%) in the U.S.<ref name=":0"></ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Howarth |first=Josh |date=April 24, 2025 |title=iPhone vs Android User Stats (2025 Data) |url=https://explodingtopics.com/blog/iphone-android-users |website=ExplodingTopics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250709235506/https://explodingtopics.com/blog/iphone-android-users |archive-date=July 9, 2025 }}</ref>

*Europe: Android leads with 65% market share, though iOS is strong in the UK (52.29%).<ref name=":0"></ref><ref name=":3"></ref>

*Affordability: Android devices range from $100 budget phones to premium flagships, making them accessible in emerging markets.<ref name=":0"></ref><ref name=":2"></ref>

*Device Variety: Multiple manufacturers (Samsung, Xiaomi, OPPO) offer diverse options, unlike Apple’s closed ecosystem.<ref name=":4>{{Cite web |last=Frąckiewicz |first=Marcin |date=May 16, 2025 |title=Smartphone Wars 2025: Inside the Global Market Shake-Up, Trends, and Future Tech Disruptions |url=https://ts2.tech/en/smartphone-wars-2025-inside-the-global-market-shake-up-trends-and-future-tech-disruptions/ |website=Ts2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250720045846/https://ts2.tech/en/smartphone-wars-2025-inside-the-global-market-shake-up-trends-and-future-tech-disruptions/ |archive-date=July 20, 2025}}</ref>

==Incidents==

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 ==Consumer impact summary==
-Google, as the developer of Android, has faced scrutiny over privacy concerns, short software support lifespans, patent disputes, and anti-competitive behaviors.{{Citation needed}}
+With over 3.5 billion active users, open-source flexibility, affordability, and extensive device ecosystems continue to shape consumer behavior, regional adoption, and technological advancements.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=G |first=Nick |date=September 4, 2024 |title=Android Market Share in 2025: Global Dominance and Key Insights|url=https://techjury.net/industry-analysis/android-market-share |website=TechJury |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250629102621/https://techjury.net/industry-analysis/android-market-share/ |archive-date=June 29, 2025 }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=Trend of Newly Released Android |url=https://www.accio.com/business/trend-of-newly-released-android |website= |archive-url= |archive-date= }}</ref> Android’s global reach, affordability, and device diversity make it the preferred OS for billions, particularly in emerging economies. It remains the world’s most widely used mobile operating system, but its dominance has been accompanied by controversies from security vulnerabilities and privacy concerns to accusations of anti-competitive behavior and declining open-source commitments.
-Google encourages the use of their [https://developer.android.com/google/play/integrity/overview Play Integrity API], a mechanism for Android applications to detect whether they are running on a non-OEM version of Android. This is employed mostly to prevent users from running Android versions with anti-consumer features removed, i.e. ads and unconsented data collection. For example, the Android YouTube app which leverages the API to detect whether it has been patched to remove ads, in which case it will refuse to play back videos.
+===Global market share===
+Android remains the world’s dominant mobile operating system (OS) as of 2025, holding a 72.23% global market share compared to iOS with 27.39%.<ref name=":0"></ref>
+*Asia & Africa: Android dominates with 95.16% in India, 86.8% in Indonesia, and 80.88% in Africa due to affordability and device variety.<ref name=":0"></ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last1=Qadir |first1=Salam |last2=Shaikh |first2=Sohaib |date=April 20, 2025 |title=Android vs iOS Statistics 2025: Users, Revenue, and Global Trends |url=https://www.tekrevol.com/blogs/android-vs-ios-statistics/ |website=Tekrevol |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250515022542/https://www.tekrevol.com/blogs/android-vs-ios-statistics/ |archive-date=May 15, 2025 }}</ref>
+*North America: Android holds 45% market share, trailing iOS (57.68%) in the U.S.<ref name=":0"></ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Howarth |first=Josh |date=April 24, 2025 |title=iPhone vs Android User Stats (2025 Data) |url=https://explodingtopics.com/blog/iphone-android-users |website=ExplodingTopics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250709235506/https://explodingtopics.com/blog/iphone-android-users |archive-date=July 9, 2025 }}</ref>
+*Europe: Android leads with 65% market share, though iOS is strong in the UK (52.29%).<ref name=":0"></ref><ref name=":3"></ref>
+*Affordability: Android devices range from $100 budget phones to premium flagships, making them accessible in emerging markets.<ref name=":0"></ref><ref name=":2"></ref>
+*Device Variety: Multiple manufacturers (Samsung, Xiaomi, OPPO) offer diverse options, unlike Apple’s closed ecosystem.<ref name=":4>{{Cite web |last=Frąckiewicz |first=Marcin |date=May 16, 2025 |title=Smartphone Wars 2025: Inside the Global Market Shake-Up, Trends, and Future Tech Disruptions |url=https://ts2.tech/en/smartphone-wars-2025-inside-the-global-market-shake-up-trends-and-future-tech-disruptions/ |website=Ts2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250720045846/https://ts2.tech/en/smartphone-wars-2025-inside-the-global-market-shake-up-trends-and-future-tech-disruptions/ |archive-date=July 20, 2025}}</ref>
 ==Incidents==