China accounts for a third of 2012 Android device sales

Two-thirds of mobile phones sold in the region are powered by Google's OS.
New research from Informa Telecoms & Media says that the reach of Android continues to surge, particularly in China, which accounts for a third of all Google OS-powered devices sold in 2012.
In fact, the little green robot has such a stronghold in the region that two-thirds of mobile phones sold in the country run on Android, making it the largest market in the world. The region is also noted as the fastest-growing smartphone market, experiencing an 85 per cent year-on-year growth rate.
The US bagged an 11 per cent share of global sales, which makes the country the second-largest Android market, while at least half of all mobile phones sold in the country throughout 2013 will use the platform. The firm also notes that the share could grow even further if Apple doesn't improve its devices and 'ageing iOS', with iPhone sales slipping from 35.5m in 2012 to 34m in 2013.
Comparatively, Apple's iPhone only accounts for five per cent of sales in China, though two million units of iPhone 5 were sold during its debut weekend.
Malik Saadi, principal analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media, said: "Despite the economic downturn, the global smartphone market is enjoying healthy growth and consumers are actually spending more to acquire more technologically-advanced devices.
"It is estimated that around 786 million smartphone devices were sold in 2012 (including the devices powered by non-certified variants of Android that are proliferating in China), which is 45% more than the total number of smartphones sold in 2011.
"Looking forward, Android is expected to continue gaining market share globally and, by 2015, one in every two handsets sold worldwide will be powered by it. However, according to Informa Telecoms & Media, the market share of this platform could potentially peak – or even decline – after 2016 owing to a more aggressive penetration of the alternative OSs, most notably Windows Phone."

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