iOS Vs Android: Apple and Google Slugging it out for Smartphone Supremacy

iOS Vs Android: Would you be surprised to hear that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s iOS and Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s Android make up roughly 92 percent of all smartphone shipments?

At this time, it appears that the race for smartphone supremacy is down to two as Apple and Google slug it out for top honors.

AppleInsider recently reported on some interesting data as compiled by Strategy Analytics. Here is what you need to know:

“The latest data from Strategy Analytics reveals that 70.1 percent of smartphones shipped in the fourth quarter of 2012 were Android devices, while 22 percent were iPhones. With the two platforms accounting for 92.1 percent of shipments, that left just 7.9 percent for all other operating systems, such as Windows Phone or BlackBerry.”

As you can see, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) is well out in front of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). That being said, the two companies have left everybody else in the dust. For example, BlackBerry has more or less fallen off the map as it struggles to keep up with these two tech giants.

In the same article, Scott Bicheno, senior analyst at Strategy Analytics is quoted as saying the following:

“Combined together, Apple and Android accounted for a record 92 percent share of all smartphones shipped globally in the fourth quarter of 2012.”

“The worldwide smartphone industry has effectively become a duopoly as consumer demand has polarized around mass-market Android models and premium Apple designs.”

Despite the fact that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) experienced sales growth over the past year, the data shows that the company has actually lost market share, dropping from 24 percent a year ago to its current level of 22 percent.

What about Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)?