Forked Android Growth Set to Slow in 2015

ABI Research reports that forked Android or AOSP smartphone growth is set to slow in 2015 as Chinese smartphone growth slows to 13% and Google’s Android One initiative brings Indian manufacturers into the certified Android camp. AOSP growth was 211% year-on-year in 2013, but is forecast to fall to 18% in 2015.

“AOSP’s growth has been driven by the growth of Chinese and Indian handset manufacturers, mainly in their domestic markets, but China’s growth is slowing and Android One is seeing some significant wins among Indian manufacturers like Micromax, Karbonn, Spice, Intex, and Lava, as well as some of the more International Chinese brands like Lenovo and Alcatel,” said Nick Spencer, Senior Practice Director, Mobile Devices.

“Google has worked with top chipset vendors Qualcomm and MediaTek to create a low cost reference design, namely Android One, as it seeks to control fragmentation and ensure its services are available and up to date so Google can monetize the Android installed base efficiently, especially in the high growth low price tiers,” added Spencer.

Android One will give further momentum to Google’s drive to commoditize the smartphone market. AOSP continues to be a threat to Google’s mobile strategy, however, as the business environment for Google remains challenging in China and therefore AOSP will continue to flourish there.

These findings are part of ABI Research’s Smartphones and Handsets Market Research, which includes Research Reports, Market Data, Insights, and Competitive Assessments.

ABI Research provides in-depth analysis and quantitative forecasting of trends in global connectivity and other emerging technologies. From offices in North America, Europe and Asia, ABI Research’s worldwide team of experts advises thousands of decision makers through 70+ research and advisory services. Est. 1990. For more information visit www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.