When Samsung launched the first Galaxy Note, many scoffed at its large 5-inch display. Surprisingly, Samsung succeeded where the likes of the HTC Advantage and Dell Streak did not. Two years (and two Notes) later, a 5-inch screen on a smartphone is pretty common. In fact, IDC estimates that more than a fifth of all smartphones sold in Q3 2013 were phablets.
The company’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker reports a total of 211.6 million smartphone units shipped in Q3 and an uptick in the percentage of large-screen smartphones (between 5- and 7-inches) shipped compared to the same quarter a year ago. In Q3 2012, IDC figures showed phablets accounted for 18 percent of smartphone units shipped. For Q3 2013, that figure is up to 21 percent.
Screen size aside, Android continues to dominate, accounting for 81 percent of all smartphone shipments, the first time Android has topped 80 percent. Microsoft’s Windows Phone also performed well, up 156 percent year over year and claiming 5 percent of the market. Sad news for iOS and BlackBerry, though. IDC reports iOS market share declined in Q3, most likely because of a slow period for iPhone sales in the lead up to the iPhone 5s and 5s. This saw Apple’s mobile OS drop from 14.4 percent to 12.9 percent, though that will likely change this quarter. BlackBerry is, well, BlackBerry. It accounted for a measly 1.7 percent of the market compared to 4.1 percent last year.
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