Android Phones Extend Dominance In Q2; Apple Slips

Apple's AAPL share of the fast-growing smart phone sector slipped in the second quarter while Google's GOOGL Android system increased its overwhelming dominance to more than 84 percent of the market.

Total smartphone shipments hit a new milestone, growing more than 25 percent and surpassing 300 million units for the first time according to IDC.com, a Framingham, Massachusetts-based market research company.

Apple's market share fell to 11.7 percent from 13 percent a year earlier, according to IDC. Android phones now account for 84.7 percent of the market, up from 79.6 percent last year.

Microsoft's MSFT Windows Phone slipped to a 2.5 percent share from 3.4 percent, while Blackberry fell to a negligible 0.5 percent share, from 2.8 percent.

In the Android market, Samsung accounted for 29.3 percent of all such devices, down from its 40 percent share of two years ago. Since then, competitors including Coolpad, Huawei, Lenovo, LG, Xiaomi and ZTE have all grown their respective volumes are jockeying for position in the rankings behind Samsung.

Android shipments grew 33 percent in the recent quarter to 255.3 million units.

IDC's Ramon Llamas said Android makers' focus on pricing gives it a market share advantage.

During the second quarter, 59 percent of all Android smartphone shipments worldwide cost less than $200, "making them very attractive compared to other devices,'" Llamas said.

Apple in recent years has found the second quarter the slowest of the year as new releases in the third quarter have boosted shipments. The company expects to launch the iPhone 6 on September 9. Apple shipped 35.2 million iPhones in the recent quarter, up 12.7 percent from a year ago.