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Android Is Even Bigger Than You Think

By Tim Beyers – Updated Apr 5, 2017 at 11:18PM

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The numbers are in, and they are impressive.

I want whatever it is my Foolish colleague Hunter Pavela is eating nowadays. Here's what he wrote three weeks ago:

With Android 2.0 devices coming to market, Google will soon be partaking in that windfall. By limiting its killer product to AT&T, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) allowed an opening for the competition -- an opening that Google seems well-prepared to exploit. I'd say that's a threat.

I would, too, especially after having seen new numbers from Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) recently acquired AdMob unit. Android had 20% of U.S. smartphone traffic during October, according its report.

But Android may be an even bigger threat to Research In Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM) and Palm (NASDAQ:PALM). Here's a look at the month-over-month numbers:

Operating System

September 09

October 09

Difference (+/-)

iPhone OS

48%

55%

+7

Android

17%

20%

+3

RIM OS

14%

12%

-2

Palm webOS

10%

5%

-5

Windows Mobile

5%

4%

-1

Source: AdMob. Figures are for U.S. traffic share.

Impressive, eh? This is beginning to look like a two-horse race -- the iPhone's Coke to Android's Pepsi, at least here in the States. Nokia's (NYSE:NOK) Symbian is still a serious player worldwide. We should also concede that Motorola's (NYSE:MOT) high-profile rollout of the Droid smartphone has probably given Android a boost in the ratings.

Even so, Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows Mobile continues to suffer fading influence here and abroad. The OS accounted for just 3% of smartphone requests worldwide during both September and October.

So Hunter had it right; Google's robot army is on the march. And while Apple may be the ultimate target, for now it's the lesser combatants that are sustaining all the collateral damage.

But that's my take. Now it's your turn to weigh in. How big a threat is Android to the iPhone and the rest of the smartphone industry? Please vote in the poll below. You can also sound off using the comments box at the bottom.

Apple is a Motley Fool Stock Advisor selection. Nokia and Microsoft are Motley Fool Inside Value picks. Motley Fool Options has recommended a diagonal call on Microsoft. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days.

Fool contributor Tim Beyers had stock and options positions in Apple and a stock position in Google at the time of publication. Check out Tim's portfolio holdings and Foolish writings, or connect with him on Twitter as @milehighfool. The Motley Fool is also on Twitter as @TheMotleyFool. The Fool's disclosure policy wonders what it would be like to live in a van down by the river.

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Stocks Mentioned

Alphabet Inc. Stock Quote
Alphabet Inc.
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Microsoft Corporation Stock Quote
Microsoft Corporation
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Apple Inc. Stock Quote
Apple Inc.
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Nokia Corporation Stock Quote
Nokia Corporation
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$4.26 (-4.05%) $0.18
BlackBerry Stock Quote
BlackBerry
BB
$5.07 (-3.24%) $0.17
Motorola Solutions, Inc. Stock Quote
Motorola Solutions, Inc.
MSI
$228.76 (-1.41%) $-3.26
Palm, Inc. Stock Quote
Palm, Inc.
PALM

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