The battle between mobile OS players, specifically Google's Android and Apple's iOS, continues to rage with little sign of it easing up any time soon.
While there's no doubt Android is leading the pack in terms of sales in some specific markets, iOS has a strong footing as well in certain segments, and there is some competition quietly sniffing around the mobile OS battlefield that very well could change things up for both Android and iOS.
In terms of total market share, Android held a whopping 84.4 percent as of the third quarter in 2014, with iOS at 11.7 percent, according to research firm IDC.
Yet the market view for Android is not as rosy when the perspective turns to comparing enterprise and consumer segments.
In the business enterprise space, iOS is the clear winner, with one estimate noting iOS accounts for 69 percent of the market, giving Android just 29 percent share.
It's a big change from just a few years ago when the former Research in Motion's BlackBerry system was the favorite for many enterprises, mainly due to its superior security features. The company officially changed its name to BlackBerry in 2013.
"BlackBerry's highly encrypted operating system was once the main, if not the only, choice for regulated industries such as government agencies, financial and health care institutions with high data-security requirements," Brad Akyuz, director of Connected Intelligence at NPD Group, told Tech Times. "However, BlackBerry's comparatively mediocre device portfolio ... , coupled with the cost advantages on Microsoft's free mobile exchange, resulted in many enterprises embracing BYOD solutions."
While BlackBerry, under new ownership and leadership since that time frame, struggles to regain its footing and also sow roots into the consumer side -- presenting a threat to both Android and iOS -- there's another competitor with potential to shake up the mobile OS market -- Microsoft's Windows Phone OS.
However, industry watchers expect the mobile market will continue being dominated by Android and iOS, at least for the near future.
"I believe it is safe to assume that iOS and Android will continue to dominate the market," says Akyuz. "While the Windows Phone OS provides tremendous remote capabilities to IT managers, Microsoft devices are not widely deployed across enterprises," he explains. "Both iOS and Android offer quite versatile SDKs, serving developers across all industries, and there is little incentive for developers shifting focus away to other alternatives."
One of the main reasons Windows Phone and BlackBerry are struggling in the mobile OS market is that they simply don't have the content and apps that entice users.
But that scenario could change and may very well change if BlackBerry and Microsoft make the right moves to lure developers and their creative app-making skills.
