Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG) Android platform has long dominated the smartphone market in terms of market share, but research firm Strategy Analytics thinks Android has reached its peak. Android ran 84 percent of smartphones shipped globally in the third quarter, according to the research firm, down from 85 percent in the second quarter. "Android's global smartphone market share is peaking," Strategy Analytics analyst Neil Mawston told the Wall Street Journal. "Unless there is an unlikely collapse in rival Apple iPhone volumes in the future, Android is probably never going to go much above the 85 percent global market share ceiling."
Apple's Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) iOS captured 12 percent of the global smartphone in the third quarter, though that its likely going to increase in the fourth quarter thanks to the rollout of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) Windows Phone captured 3 percent BlackBerry (NASDAQ:BBRY) has 1 percent.
Still, even if Android's market share has peaked, the overall smartphone market continues to grow, and Google is pushing Android down to lower price points with its Android One program. Further, the growth of Android phones running forked versions of the software has declined. Forked phone shipments made up 37 percent of the all Android shipments in the third quarter, according to Strategy Analytics, down from 39 percent in the second quarter. Article (sub. req.)