Linux Ships More Smartphones Than Windows Mobile in Q1 2005

[Mike Temporale]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS8804000399.html' target='_blank'>http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS8804000399.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Embedded Linux powered 14 percent of smartphones shipped worldwide in Q1 of 2005, up 412 percent from 3.4 percent in Q1-04, according to Gartner. Windows Mobile Smartphone shipments also grew, rising 50 percent from a 2.9 share in 1Q-04 to 4.5 percent in 1Q-05."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/Temporale-20050721-SmartphoneShipments.gif" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/> <br /><br />It's important to note that Gartner did not include any Pocket PC Phone devices in their numbers. I'm sure if you added in those numbers, the Linux and Microsoft numbers would be closer together. This is my biggest complaint about all these different surveys. There needs to be a standard clear cut definition of the different types of phones so we can compare numbers on an even playing field. They neglected Pocket PC based phones, but allowed a number of Linux based PDA phones (with stylus). Regardless, Linux has made a very impressive improvement in their rankings. It appears that Microsoft has more than just Symbian to worry about.

[surfer]

Mike any info on wich manufacturers it is in each segment?

[MS Mobiles]

Please observe: many so called "Linux smartphones" can run only Java 3rd party software and they are blocked from running native Linux software... so they are not really smartphones in the sense "running native apps from the OS".

[Mike Temporale]

Mike any info on wich manufacturers it is in each segment?

Unfortunately, no. Gartner is charging for this report. The article I linked to above has the most information of any of the articles I found on this, and it focuses more on the linux side of this. Not the hardware.

[Sven Johannsen]

It appears that Microsoft has more than just Symbian to worry about.

Maybe, but who really wants to dial their phone from a command line ;)

[Janak Parekh]

Can't say I'm surprised. It's still hard to get a WM Smartphone over here, especially if you're on CDMA. :( Progress has been made, but MS needs to work harder with the OEMs and carriers to get new Smartphones on the market.

--janak

[Stinger]

I guess can why there was such a big jump in Linux's market share - Japan.

I believe that NTT DoCoMo has just released it's first Linux-based handsets and they've obviously been selling very well.

I have to agree with MS Mobiles though, that it's questionable whether these are actually smartphones. They've certainly got a non-propreitary operating system, but NTT DoCoMo's phones (both Linux and Symbian) are locked down so that they will only run Java 3rd party apps.

Still, it shows that Microsoft has got a fight on it's hands from three main competitors now - Symbian, Palm and Linux. Hopefully this will keep Microsoft on their toes and stop them from forming a monopoly. Competition is always a good thing and it'll only lead to better Microsoft products. :)