Nokia Toppled from smartphones top spot

Google Inc's Android dethroned Nokia's Symbian as the all-around baton in smartphonecomputer application during the aftermost division of 2010, catastrophe a administration that began with the bearing of the industry a decade ago.

The reshuffle underscores how bound Google, which offers itscomputer application to buzz makers for free, has raced to the top of the smartphone bazaar advanced of Apple Inc's accelerated ascension. Google and Apple accept revolutionized the smartphone market, sending Nokia scrambling.

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In the fourth quarter, phonemakers awash 32.9 actor Android-equipped phones globally, about seven times added than the year-earlier quarter, compared with Symbian's sales of 31 million, according to Research abutting Canalys.

The numbers additionally highlight Google's success in aggressive Apple, whose shipments of its accepted iPhone added to 16.2 actor from 8.7 actor in the fourth division of 2009, back it about angled Android's 4.7 actor shipments.

Unlike Apple or Nokia, Google does not accomplish its own buzz hardware, but instead offers its Android operating arrangement chargeless to added buzz makers who can acclimate it to clothing their devices.

As a result, Android has become the standardcomputer application for abounding buzz makers. U.S. buzz maker Motorola Mobility Inc has alike managed to date a improvement of sorts by absorption alone on Android afterwards years of abundant bazaar allotment losses.

Hit models from Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, HTC Corp and LG Electronics Inc additionally helped Android in the division as buzz companies in abounding regions aggressively answer Android phones.

Aside from smartphones, Google additionally acquired on Apple in book computers, breadth its bazaar allotment rose to 22 percent in the fourth quarter, while Apple's allotment fell to 75 percent from 95 percent, according to Action Analytics.

GOOGLE PUSH INTO APPS

In fact, alone Nokia, Apple and Research In Motion Ltd accept so far resisted application Android software.

Google said in October that adaptable revenue, which includes adaptable advertising, accomplished an anniversary run amount of $1 billion. While this is tiny compared with the $26.85 billion absolute net acquirement analysts apprehend this year -- mostly generated from Web chase accompanying ads -- Google has fabricated no abstruse of the actuality it sees adaptable arena a axial role in its future.

Outgoing Arch Controlling Eric Schmidt afresh wrote in the Harvard Business Review that all of Google's cardinal initiatives for 2011 circumduct about mobile.

In particular, Google has confused to booty on Apple in adaptable applications, an breadth in which the iPhone maker has prevailed.

A big allotment of Apple's success in affairs iPhone is its adeptness to allure hundreds of bags of third-partycomputer application developers to actualize apps for aggregate from acclimate forecasts to weight-loss.

While Google has additionally courted third-party developers, its Android Marketplace still lags far abaft Apple's in size.

NOKIA MOVE TO ANDROID?

Meanwhile, the Symbian arrangement has suffered from the troubles of its buyer and capital user, Nokia, which now almost has a attendance in the United States.

When Android accustomed in the third division of 2008, Symbian's allotment of the all-around smartphone bazaar was abutting to 50 percent. While Google's allotment has added to 33 percent, Nokia's has collapsed to beneath than 31 percent.

As a aftereffect some experts said this may beggarly Nokia will advertise affairs to acquaint smartphone models application Android.

Last week, Nokia warned of a austere alpha to 2011 afterwards rivals ate into alike added of its smartphone bazaar share, highlighting the calibration of the assignment its fresh bang-up has to turnaround the business.

Stephen Elop, a above controlling for Microsoft Corp who took over as Nokia arch controlling in September, will bare his plan to adapt Nokia's action on February 11.

Elop said aftermost anniversary he capital to reopen markets such as the United States, breadth Nokia has absent out badly, and flagged a accessible change incomputer application strategy.

Nokia's U.S. shares were up 1.3 percent at $10.71 on Fresh York Stock Exchange on Monday, while Google shares rose 0.01 pct at $601.05 on Nasdaq.