Android Ramps Up To 65,000 Shipped Per Day

Google CEO Eric Schmidt recently told investors that its partners are shipping 65,000 Android handsets per day. That's up from 60,000 per day just a few months ago. That's a rate of 24 million Android handsets per year. The Android Army continues to gain momentum, eating into the market share of the competition.According to Schmidt, there are now 34 different Android handsets being sold in 49 countries around the globe. "Our partners are shipping about 65,000 Android handsets per day but if you check the blogosphere you'll discover there are some reports that that number might be quite low," Schmidt said. "It looks like Android is going to be either the number one or number two player."

It is entirely possible for Google's Android to surpass RIM's BlackBerry platform in the U.S., though it won't become the number one platform worldwide any time soon. Nokia's installed based of Symbian users far outstrips every other platform.

Schmidt added, "Our strategy is very different from everybody else's. We license our code for free, so that's really pretty revolutionary. We're trying to build an entire ecosystem of openness, the inverse of the other guys." That last statement is a thinly veiled jab at Apple and its closed iPhone system.

RIM, which current holds the top spot in the U.S. should probably start to worry. It still has a healthy lead over Android, but the margin separating the two has dropped significantly. RIM has 36% of the U.S. smartphone market, and Android has 28%. Android has been gaining mostly at the expense of RIM, which saw its share slip in the most recent quarter.

RIM is prepared to introduce BlackBerry 6 in the coming months. Hopefully RIM's new platform software can stop (or at least slow down) the defections to Android.

[Via AFP]