Which Mobile OS Dominated 2011?
![Which Mobile OS Dominated 2011?](https://cdn.wamda.com/feature-images/c4715f98cc0ad55.gif)
If you're looking to build mobile applications for export to a global market, take a look at iCrossing's recent infographic detailing the dominance of mobile operating systems in 2011.
(Click image to see the full version).
It was a big year for Android, with Mobithinking reporting that nearly half of all smartphones shipped worldwide now run on Android. Yet, they report, Nokia remains the number one mobile manufacturer worldwide, while Samsung is the leading smartphone hardware vendor.
You can see these dynamics play out in iCrossing's data, which shows that Android dominates Spain, Argentina, Peru, and South Korea, with a heathly presence in Japan. iCrossing notes that Android use has particularly grown in the past year, expanding from 17% to 47% in Spain in the last year and from 6% to 45% in Peru.
Nokia also captures a solid percentage of the mobile OS market in emerging markets in South America, Mexico, and giants China, India, and Russia, remaining a dominant player despite its downgraded S&P rating and transition from using Symbian as its smartphone operating system to building Windows Phones instead.
The mobile OS that declined the most this year was Blackberry, says iCrossing, losing 26% of the U.S. market share to Apple and Android in the last 12 months, a statistic perhaps not surprising given the global blackout.
This map doesn't reveal trends in the Middle East or Africa, as iCrossing's previous chart did, revealing Nokia's dominance in Egypt and Tunisia. Yet, for developers in the region looking to export, it's valuable to keep tabs on global trends. In the future, we hope iCrossing returns to including statistics from the region.