The Knowledge to Decide

Africa is becoming a new growth market for Google with Android-enabled devices – it launched services for Google Play Music in South Africa in December 2015 to enter the fiercely competitive market for on-demand music streaming services. Interestingly, Apple Music is already present since its launch in June 2015. This means users will have unlimited access to a variety of music – spanning international and local artistes. For early subscribers, the monthly cost will be USD3.50 until January 26, 2016. As South Africa boasts to be the most advanced digital media market in sub Saharan Africa, the availability of such streaming services signifies the market opportunity of mobiles in Africa – particularly those users with smartphones. Will Google manage to capture Africa’s digital media market despite fierce competition? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/google-sets-up-shop-in-africas-music-market/

With a fast-growing population of internet subscribers and Android smartphone users, India is now seen as an Android country. Leading smartphone players in India have adopted Android, including local players such as Karbonn and Micromax, as well as Chinese players such as Huawei and ZTE. Saurabh Sharma, India Country Manager for Spire Research and Consulting, shared his views on the outlook for Android in CXOToday. With 40 million smartphones in the country, 91% of India’s market share belongs to devices using Google’s mobile operating system, Android. Sharma commented that the rise of Android can be attributed to the accessibility of low-priced Android-based smartphones which come with an array of features, as well as the cheaper data plans for these phones offered by telco carriers. The availability of diverse Android-based applications has also swayed consumer preferences. Sharma opined that smartphone marketers in India are planning to introduce additional value-added fea

- Saurabh Sharma, Country Manager, Spire Research and Consulting   India can easily be considered as an Android country since 91% of its market share belongs to devices using Google’s mobile operating system. It is an open-source, Linux-based operating system designed specifically for smartphones and computer tablets. This facilitates easy accessibility for programmers to provide enhanced services as well as improve the core functionality of the device. According to statistics, the Android platform has breached 80% market share globally in the third quarter of 2013. With 40 million smartphones in the country, Indian users have an easy access to smartphones to stay connected online. With more consumers wanting to get their hands on smartphones and computer tablets, this has unsurprisingly pushed for the dominance of Androids across markets. Moreover, Androids is adopted by all major smartphone players in India – local players such as Karbonn and Micromax, as well a