Are Apple, Microsoft teetering?

Customers shifting to open-based Google mobile OS

By Kim Yoo-chul

Are Apple and Microsoft (MS) losing their foothold?

Analysts and industry officials are telling The Korea Times that mobile users are opting for an open-based Google Android operating system, likely leaving the two iconic firms in the lurch.

Customers shifting to open-based Google mobile OSAndroid OS is an open-based source, creating more room for content and program developers to make various applications to be used in smartphones.

SK Telecom says the number of Android mobile users has exceeded 1 million in the six months since the carrier introduced Android smartphones in February.

As of the end of July, Korea has some 3.1 million smartphone users with Android phones accounting for 37.5 percent share of the market.

Apple's share has dropped to 28 percent for the first seven months of this year with KT selling over 840,000 iPhones since its release in November last year.

Microsoft's Windows Mobile OS suffered a stalled external growth in the market. Research in Motion is also seeing sluggish growth with its market share dropping to 1.5 percent.

"The consumer shift towards Android phones is still under way. Microsoft is also one of our biggest clients. We are now more interested in Androids," said Cindy Kang, a spokeswoman for SK Telecom, Monday.

SK, which has so far released nine sets of Android phones via its stronger partnership with Samsung Electronics and Pantech, is planning to release 10 more by the end of this year.

It also plans to provide mobile banking programs with further collaboration with Google.

"South Korea has the largest number of Android users worldwide," said Bae Joon-dong, a senior vice president at SK Telecom.

Strategy Analytics (SA), a market research firm, also expects 60.1 percent of smartphones in Korea or 4.5 million to use Android in 2015, while Apple OS is forecast to take up 18.9 percent or 1.4 million.

The Boston-headquartered researcher said Microsoft’s Windows Mobile platform is projected to account for 13.6 percent, followed by Research In Motion's 5.5 percent in the next five years.

"If there is an increased interest in a certain software, it can lure more content providers," said Michael Chang, vice president of Seoul-based Atlas Research & Consulting.

Android boom to continue

Evidently, Korea will see a further growth in Android OS-equipped devices as the nation’s leading consumer electronics companies are planning to introduce more of such products.

Even the iPhone seller KT has a plan to launch Samsung Electronics' "Galaxy K" ― the smartphone which is equipped with a 3.7-inch display and the latest 2.2 Android Froyo version ― in September.

It spokeswoman Kim Yoon-jeong said the plan will help the Android OS boost its edge in mobile OS race.

According to sources, KT has sold some 80,000 Android phones so far this year, while LG Uplus is known to have moved 70,000, according to the industry data.

KT is set to introduce the iPhone 4. Pyo Hyun-myung, the president of KT’s mobile division, earlier said it is aiming to sell at least 1 million new iPhones.

Samsung and LG Electronics said they don't have any imminent plans to launch the so-called "Windows Mobile 7" phones.

The top three carriers said it’s highly unlikely that Microsoft's new phone will make its debut in 2010.

"We haven't fixed the launch timing for the phone in South Korea. A delay is expected especially in Asia, though the smartphone will be introduced globally in the fourth quarter," said an official at Microsoft's South Korean office.

"That means Microsoft will suffer a further setback of its mobile OS share, as the local mobile eco system has already been realigned to two _ Apple OS and Android OS," said a top-ranking industry executive.

Mobile phones are not the only ones to make the outlook of Android OS brighter. Samsung and LG are planning to introduce tablet-style PCs that run on the Google-powered system.

"We will sell tablet-PCs based on Android OS. The tentatively named Galaxy Tab will be commercialized via SK Telecom from next month," said Kim Hwan, a vice president at Samsung Electronics.

Jerry Kim, a spokesman at LG Electronics, said the company has been set to sell the Android-based tablet-style PCs from the fourth quarter of this year with a 7 inch screen size.

Steve Park, a representative of Apple's Korean branch, declined to comment over the drastic mobile OS shifts to Android from the iPhone platform.

When reviewing what is happening outside the peninsula, the situation is not much different.

Market researcher Canalys said that global shipments of Android smartphones during the second quarter spiked up 886 percent from a year earlier.

"In the United States, for example, we have seen the largest carrier, Verizon Wireless, heavily promoting high-profile Android devices, such as the Droid by Motorola and the Droid Incredible by HTC," Canalys principal analyst Chris Jones said in a statement.

"The Google Android platform continues to evince explosive growth and over the past six months has edged past the Apple iPhone platform with new customers," said a Samsung executive.

애플, 마이크로소프트 휘청이나?

개방형 모바일 플랫폼인 구글의 안드로이드 운영체제가 국내 시장에서 지속적인 인기를 얻고 있는 반면 애플 OS와 마이크로소프트의 윈도모바일 시스템은 쇠락의 길을 걷고 있어 주목된다.

국내 1위 이통사업자인 SK텔레콤은 올들어 상반기까지 자사의 안드로이드폰 사용자가 백만명을 돌파했다고 밝혔다.

7월말 현재 애플 OS를 쓰고 있는 아이폰의 국내 시장 점유율은 28%로 하락했고 같은 기간 윈도모바일 플랫폼 역시 부진 탈출에 실패한 것으로 나타났다.

이는 삼성전자와 LG전자등 국내 주요 핸드폰 제조업체들이 이통사와 손잡고 안드로이드기반 핸드폰의 생산 및 판매를 강화하고 있는 데 따른 것으로 분석되고 있다.

아이폰 판매로 인해 최근 삼성전자와의 관계가 소원했던 KT 또한 삼성 갤럭시S의 후속 모델인 갤럭시K를 다음달 중으로 발매할 예정이다.

KT관계자에 따르면 현재까지 약 8만여대의 안드로이드폰이 팔려나간 것으로 집계됐다.

표현명 KT 개인고객부문 사장은 최근 열린 기자간담회에서 안드로이드폰의 지속적인 판매 호조를 의식한 듯 ``아이폰4의 국내 발매 시기가 기약 없이 늦어지지는 않을 것’’이라며 ``최소 백만대 이상 판매할 것’’이라고 말했다.

마이크로소프트와 협력관계를 맺고 있는 삼성전자와 LG전자는 국내에서의 윈도모바일7폰 판매 계획에 대해 ``아직 확정된 것 없다’’고 말했다. 당분간 안드로이드폰에 집중하겠다는 것.

이에 대해 마이크로소프트 코리아의 한 관계자는 ``현재까지 윈도모바일7폰의 국내 출시계획이 확정되지 않았다’’며 ``단 올 4분기 중 전세계 시장에 발매될 것”이라고 말했다.

안드로이드 플랫폼의 미래를 밝게 만드는 것은 비단 핸드폰 뿐만 아니다. 국내 주요 제조업체들이 안드로이드 기반의 다양한 디지털 기기 출시계획을 가지고 있기 때문.

김환 삼성전자 무선사업부 상무는 “안드로이드 기반의 태블릿 PC 갤럭시탭을 9월부터 SK텔레콤을 통해 유판매할 것’’이라고 밝혔다. LG전자 역시 3분기 중 구글의 태블릿 PC 출시를 계획하고 있다.

박정훈 애플 코리아 홍보팀 부장은 국내시장에서의 아이폰 인기 하락에 대해 말을 아꼈다.

시장조사기관인 카날리스가 최근 발표한 자료에 따르면, 올해 2분기 안드로이드 기반 스마트폰은 지난해 같은 기간보다 886% 성장한 것으로 나타났다.