Navigating Android: April’s Device Market Share Data

Editor’s Note: We’re excited to welcome Chris from NativeX, sharing his experiences and expertise in the gaming industry!

I have been in the app distribution and monetization space since 2008. In April 2012, I moved to the elite unit of mobile producers at NativeX called the Games Task Force where I specializes in F2P game mechanics & game design.  Each Month I update device and OS  market share on Android based on games from the NativeX network. My hope is that developers will find this useful in furthering game development on the Android platform.  Enjoy!

Android Device Market Share

April has come and gone so we find ourselves with another month of Android device market share data. There are a couple new players on the list this month, one of which might surprise you. 

As always this data is based on NativeX’s daily active users from mobile games, broken down by device and operating system. We provide this data so mobile game developers can stop guessing which Android devices to focus on.

While the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Samsung Galaxy S2 remain on top, the big surprises this month are the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1″ and the LG Motion. The Galaxy Note 10.1″ and the LG Motion have been available for a while now, and ever since, they have slowly crept up the charts – just barely missing the top ten last month. The LG Motion claimed the last spot on the list by 100K DAUs, overtaking the Xiaomi MI-One.

Android OS Market Share

Below is the market share breakdown for Android operating system versions. This data differs from the Android developer portal because our count only includes game apps, whereas the Android Developer Portal includes all apps. Only Android game developers should use this data.

This month an LG device pushed its way into the top ten devices, so we will have to wait and see on my third prediction. Next month, I expect my fourth prediction to come into fruition with the highly rated HTC One storming into the top ten.

My Predictions for 2013

[X] The Nexus 7 will continue to climb during January and overtake the Galaxy Tab 2 (7”). It won’t be challenged by another Android tablet this year.
[  ] With rumors of the S4 releasing in May and the majority of early adopters still enjoying their 2-year carrier contract with the S3, the Samsung Galaxy S3 will likely hold the top spot throughout 2013 .
[-] Sony will drop off the charts completely and not recover another spot for the remainder of 2013. Along with Sony, LG will fail to chart with a non-Nexus phone.
[  ] HTC will be making a strong push this year with new phones. Expect them to regain one or two spots in the charts, quite possibly with the rumored M7 which is rumored to release in early 2013.

If you want to talk games or are looking for a solution for Monetization or User Acquisition on mobile feel free to contact me at [email protected]