September has arrived, which means it’s time for another Android market share update. For those who read my reports every month, you’re probably thinking I sound like a broken record because for the third month in a row Samsung completely dominated the charts. Have no fear though, the Xiaomi MI 2 just barely missed out so I’m confident they will claim the #10 spot next month.
As always, this market share data is based on daily active users in NativeX’s game network. That means this data is great for Android game developers but if you’re not a game developer, don’t use this report. Instead, use the “all Android apps” data provided in the Android Developer Portal.
I publish an Android market share report every month as a service of the NativeX Games Task Force. My goal is to help game developers survive in the fragmented world of Android by identifying the most popular devices and operating systems. For those who are unfamiliar with the NativeX Games Task Force, we consult iOS and Android game developers to help them improve engagement, retention, and monetization in their games.
Android Device Market Share
Daily active users in the NativeX network continue to rise which has added to the movements between the Samsung devices. Most of the list has remained the same with the exception of a couple of flip-flops. The Galaxy Note 2 continues to drop. The Galaxy S4 was on a slight incline over last month and captured the 4th spot, however it is still a ways off from capturing the #3 spot. As mentioned above, the Xiaomi MI 2 is sitting in the 11th spot ready to claim a spot on the charts next month. There are other contenders for the spot including the Galaxy Note 10.1, Nexus 7, and the Galaxy S Advance.
Android OS Market Share
I also like to provide a view of what operating systems gamers are running on their devices. For your convenience I have included both the Android developer portal’s data along with NativeX DAU data. Please keep in mind that the OS breakdown for NativeX is based on DAU from games so expect the charts to vary.
2013 Predictions
Predictions two and four have yet to be debunked although I have a feeling my HTC prediction is a lost cause based on the data. HTC does not have a single phone close to the top 10. Not even the HTC One.
1. –Nexus 7 will continue to climb during January and overtake the Galaxy Tab 2 (7”) and won’t be challenged from another Android tablet this year.
2. -Samsung Galaxy S3 will likely hold the top spot throughout 2013 with rumors of the S4 releasing in May and the majority of early adopters still enjoying their 2-year carrier contract with the S3
3. –Sony will drop off the charts completely and not recover another spot for the remainder of 2013. Along with Sony, LG will fail to chart with a non-Nexus phone.
4. -HTC will be making a big push this year for new phones considering they lost market share last year. Expect to see them to replace 1 or 2 spots on the charts quite possibly with the rumored M7 which is rumored to release in February or March.
