iOS global usage now trails Android for the first time, according to Net Applications. Android had 44.62 percent of the market share in July, with iOS grabbing 44.19 percent.
Though the percentage difference between platforms is at this point very small, iOS controlled more than 55 percent of market share as recently as November of 2013, with a sharp drop-off since March of 2014.
Net Applications tracks operating system share figures on its own network, with the site’s methodology claiming the data is “compiled from approximately 160 million visitors per month.” Though there can be some doubt about the accuracy of the reports, the sheer size of the data set holds up to statistical analysis.
If nothing else, it shows a distinct trend, and a continued shift in usage toward Android. iOS 8 and/or the introduction of new iOS devices later this year may reverse the trend.
