IDC: Android Dethrones BlackBerry as Top Smartphone Platform in Indonesia

The news is not fully surprising, but we still amaze it only takes a while for Android to be crowned as the top smartphone platform in the country. IDC reports that finally Android overtakes BlackBerry as the most popular smartphone operating system in Indonesia with market share of 52% in Q2 2012. BlackBerry remains the single favorite platform, while Android is offered by more than 10 vendors. In terms of overall mobile phone shipments, results from IDC's Asia/Pacific Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker shows that the Indonesian mobile phone market grew 10% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) and 25% year-on-year (YoY).

According to Darwin Lie, Market Analyst for Client Devices Research at IDC Indonesia, The increase in shipments of Android-based phones in Indonesia is driven not just by its affordability but also the broad range of applications and growing popularity of touchscreens. Furthermore, he added that the delay in the launch of BlackBerry 10, which is causing buyers to wait until 2013 for new models, has also contributed an impact to the change in OS preference.

IDC predicts smartphone shipments in Indonesia to exceed 7 million units in 2012, but the sales of feature phones continue to be strong with feature phone shipments is expected to be exceeding 45 million by end 2012, driven by demand from outskirt/rural areas of Indonesia. Compared to previous quarter, smartphone sales posted 6% decline in Q2 2012.

In total, IDC ranks Nokia to be remained as the king of mobile phone in Indonesia, boosted by strong performance by X series and Asha series. It's followed by Cross, Samsung, MITO, and Research In Motion (RIM). Cross and MITO are two local players (with China-based phones) that enjoy healthy growth during 2012, while RIM faces 6% declined at Q2 2012, compared to previous quarter.

[image source: Flickr/nasaldemons]