Even though the recent launch of the latest BlackBerry 10 OS generated quite the buzz and saw positive response from tech analysts the world over, the battle is just about beginning for the company. According to ABI Research, we can expect to see about 20 million BlackBerry 10 users by the end of this year, while Windows Phone can expect 45 million users by the same time.
While the numbers do seem quite high and would potentially encourage developers to create apps for the BlackBerry 10, what’s making life harder for the company is how Nokia has also found many takers for its flagship Nokia Lumia 920. Windows Phone users are also increasing at a considerable pace, which would also eat into the potential market of the BlackBerry 10 consumers.
And of course, neither of these OS’s can compare with the current leader in terms of apps – the iOS. Even though 2012 saw lesser iOS adoption and more on the Android side, there’s no denying that it will be a long and hard battle for BlackBerry 10 to break into this big league.
On the plus side, ABI Research estimates a 44 percent increase overall in the number of smartphone users, which means the market itself is continuously expanding. Of the current 1.4 billion smartphone users, 57 percent are Android users, while 21 percent use iPhones. The company also estimates the overall tablet market to grow by 128 percent by the end of 2013 – however, in this market, iOS is the leader with 68 percent share, while Android tablets make up 28 percent.
