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Smartphones running on the Android operating system held ** percent of the global sales in the fourth quarter of 2025, down from 79 percent in the third quarter. The mobile operating system developed by Apple, iOS, was second with ** percent, while Harmony developed by Huawei occupied a -percent share.

Mobile OS ecosystem

Smartphone operating systems, often referred to as smartphone OS, are operating systems that operate smartphones, PDAs, tablets, and other mobile devices. An operating system allows these devices to run applications and programs, therefore bringing advanced functions to mobile devices that were previously restricted to desktop computers.

The now-discontinued OS Symbian was the first popular smartphone operating system in the world. With the launch of Ericsson's R380 in 2000, Symbian became the first modern mobile OS on a smartphone. Despite the early start, both Symbian and RIM have been almost driven out of the market as new operating systems were released. Apple introduced its first iPhone model to the consumer market in 2007, revolutionizing the market. Prior to the launch of Apple’s iPhone in 2007, smartphones were a rather niche product and had not yet attained mass appeal.

How Android became the market leader

Android’s global success can in many ways be attributed to its open-source software that can be installed on all smartphone devices for free. Developed by Google, the open code provides manufacturers the freedom to choose which apps are pre-installed on their devices, and they can customize layouts to create unique experiences for users. The first commercial version of the Android software was released in 2008, and its rise to market leader was almost instant.