Why is Market Share so important?

Why does the media report on iOS vs Android market share when they never reported on iPhoneOS vs Symbian market share?

• Using Android for free instead of licensing other available OSes, or creating a custom OS, is a popular business decision for mobile device makers. Instead of reporting on why companies do that, the media puts a lot of energy and ink into comparing the market shares of iOS and Android.

• Answer:

  I think the reason is that in the US Nokia just isn't really a player in the smartphone space. They are largely focused on lower cost models that aren't generally appealing to the US consumer who relies on subsidies from carriers to bring down the cost of premium smartphones. Before Android it was really about iPhone vs. Blackberry. Blackberry had an untouchable grip on the corporate market and would never be dethro-- oh, wait. Blackberry has seen their own market share dip in the smartphone space, largely due to Android and iOS. The growth of both Android and iOS as the smartphone market really began to move from niche professional product to hot consumer device also makes these platforms seem like the ones that people should be paying attention to. Perception of Nokia in the US is still associated with the old candy bar style phones from the late 90s, in my opinion. Growth aside, it's Apple vs. Google dueling it out for the hearts and wallets of consumers. They're the companies who consumers identify as innovators both within and outside of the smartphone space so the people who write the articles about smartphones are also more likely to have it read if it talks about either Android or iOS.