Google: 500k Android Phone Activations Daily

Google says it's currently seeing 500,000 Android phone activations every single day, meaning that their devices actually outpace those running Apple software.

The stat comes from Google's Android chief, Andy Rubin. Rubin boasted about the 500K-per-day plateau in a Twitter tweet, and it's not the first time he's done it. Back in December he told us all that Android had hit 300,000 activations per day, then updated us in May with news that the tally had officially reached 400,000.

According to Rubin, Android's growth rate currently sits at 4.4 per cent per week. (Source: computerworld.com)

Analysts Expect Android to Dominate Smartphone Market

Rubin's not alone in providing these kinds of statistics showing Android's remarkable popularity.

Many analysts are also convinced Android should be considered the top smartphone platform; recently, industry experts at IDC said Android-based phones have been the top-selling devices since late last year, and should remain in that lofty position until 2015.

IDC says that by that point Android will have accrued a 44 per cent market share. For their part, analysts at Gartner say about 315 million Android phones will ship next year alone. (Source: ibtimes.com)

Most experts find that Android surpasses Apple in popularity across the board. The only thing left for Google to beat Apple on is applications: to date, there are 425,000 iPhone apps available, with Android a distant second at 200,000.

Open Format Key to Android's Success

Android's success is largely due to its popularity amongst several different hardware manufacturers, such as Samsung and HTC. This is due to Android's open format, which, if continued, will ensure its dominance of the smartphone market for years to come.

To this point, over 300 different phones use Android, including a number of manufacturers and hundreds of wireless carriers.