Google’s Android is now the dominant OS when it comes to internet usage on desktop and mobile platforms, surpassing Microsoft’s Windows market share by a small fraction. Data gathered by StatCounter in March shows just how quickly Android has caught up; back in 2012, Windows represented 82 percent of internet users on desktop and mobile, while Android had a little over 2 percent. Now, the two operating systems are neck and neck with Android at 37.93 percent and Windows at 37.91 percent.
This marks a significant milestone for Google, as Microsoft has led the worldwide OS market since the 1980s. StatCounter CEO Aodhan Cullen said that the dramatic shift in Android’s favor was not only the result of the smartphone industry taking off, but also due in part to the gradual contraction of the PC market. To no one’s surprise, Microsoft still leads in desktop market share by a significant margin, but with the world shifting ever more in favor of mobile, that title will shift closer to irrelevance with each passing year.
Cullen noted that Microsoft was unlikely to be able to carve out a significant portion of the mobile market for itself. “It will be difficult for Microsoft to make inroads in mobile, but the next paradigm shift might give it the opportunity to regain dominance,” Cullen said. “That could be Augmented Reality, AI, Voice or Continuum.”