Android has ousted iOS to wrest the numero uno spot for the favored platform, beating the latter both in terms of ad revenue and traffic.
The tide has turned in Android's favor thanks to the global increase in demand for Android-based devices as opposed to iOS ones. The volume of consumers deploying Android is working to its advantage as reports reveal that "the Android ecosystem has started to overtake the one surrounding the iPhone."
According to a report from Opera Mediaworks in the first quarter of the year, Android managed to generate 45.8 percent ad revenue, edging out iOS, which accounted for 45.4 percent. This is the first instance when Android has surpassed iOS when it comes to mobile ad revenue market share.
"Mobile advertising data from first quarter of 2015 shows Android not just leading in traffic, but now revenue, holding a 45.8 percent share of total revenue generated on the platform," noted Opera Mediaworks.
In terms of traffic, Android accounts for 65.2 percent in Q1 2015 when compared to 42.8 percent in the same period in 2014. iOS accounts for a mere 22.3 percent by comparison.
A report from Digi-Capital also corroborates Android's supremacy over iOS. While it is widely believed that iOS generates higher revenue for app developers when compared to Android, the report brings to light the misconceptions harbored. The report asserts that most studies take into consideration revenues via the official Apple and Google app stores and do not take into account third-party marketplaces, especially in the biggest smartphone market of the world: China.
In China, Android smartphones do not come with the Google Play Store app, owing to legislative and regulatory problems. This, in turn, has seen third-party Chinese Android app stores, such as Baidu and Tencent, to flourish in this region and account for a notable revenue generation for app developers.
If this figure is taken into account and added to the Google Play Store revenue, then Android will surpass iOS easily in terms of revenue generation.
However, the report avers that even though Android sees a revenue increase, iOS continues to stay the better option for developers. Moreover, the preference between the two platforms could see a tilt in iOS's favor by the end of this year since Apple accounted for the maximum market share in China in the first quarter of 2015.
"Apple had the highest smartphone marketshare in China in Q1 in terms of sales, so the balance between iOS and Android could change yet again by the end of 2015," estimated Digi-Capital.
