BANGALORE: Last year, one billion Android phones were sold, the largest number of Smartphones sold by a single company. However, hidden behind that milestone that Google broadcasts far and wide is another figure: Android sales actually dipped in Q4 2014. Yes, actual number of units purchased and not the overall market share.

This is because Android is facing stiff competition that it has been slow at recognizing. In the high end sector of the market, Apple is dominating; for the first time, with the release of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, more Apple phones were sold in a quarter than Android. 205.56 million Phones were shipped in Q4, down from 217.49 million in Q3

With its high price and consolidated manufacturing base, Apple has captured 93 percent of the Smartphone market this year, according to analysts at investment firm Cannacord Genuity.  At the other end of the scale, various new operating systems, ‘forks’ of Android that Google has no control over, have taken off spectacularly.

Xiaomi is poised to quickly outsell Android in China and the emerging market region of Asia, and the operating system company Cyanogen just raised 70 million dollars, while its valuation has climbed to the hundreds of millions.

This most likely is not the beginning of a long-term slide in profits. As Android devices become more pocket friendly in comparison to Apple phones, it's expected to strengthen their place as the Smartphone pick for low-income users and consumers as the next 4 billion people eventually come online. But nevertheless it's surprising that in spite of the huge potential markets rising in the developing world, Android still doesn't match up to Apple

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