Apple Claims Android Device Counts Include Chinese Knockoffs

Every time someone releases stats on Android, Apple is owned and fires back with some excuse. The last time Google released stats on Android device activations, Apple claimed it included upgrades. This time, when Android has swept past Nokia and amounts for as many Apple and Blackberry phones, Apple claims that the figures includes Chinese variants of Android.

In short, Apple just cannot stand the Android growth and wants to take every chance to speak against it. Android, now accounts for a third of the global handset population and the situation in the fourth quarter reports are reversed from last year. In Q4 this year, Android accounts for double of Apple’s sales and has pissed off Apple.

Apple has claimed that it includes OPhone devices based on the Android variant OMS developed for use in China. OMS was originally developed for CDMA connections in China. Now, it has made it incompatible for Android apps but compatible with Symbian apps. In short, the app is nothing related to Android but has been included in the stats. Another Android fork, Tapas OS has been seen in China that focuses on Chinese social networks and software especially built for use in China.

Apple insider reports this as, That suggests most the growth in “Android” numbers is coming from no-name vendors selling devices in countries such as China, using devices that don’t support Google’s development of the OS (via ads or search services) nor even expand the platform in any meaningful way that could benefit Android users.


As pointed out at Daring Fireball, it would be interesting to know how many of those devices are from Chinese forks.