Android to overtake iPhone sales in France next year - IDC

Android phone sales are forecast to overtake iPhone sales in France in 2011, according to IDC. Of France's projected smartphone sales of about 8 million in 2011, 29 percent are expected to be Androids and 26 percent iPhones. By 2012 the installed base of Android phones is likely to be greater than iPhones in circulation. IDC expects Android to have a 30 percent share of French smartphone sales in 2013, up from 18 percent in 2010 and 2 percent in 2009. iPhones are expected to make up 24 percent of smartphone sales in 2013 versus 29 percent in 2010. Symbian wil have a 20 percent share in 2013 versus 32 percent in 2010 and BlackBerry 13 percent versus 12 percent, respectively. The Samsung Galaxy S has been France's most popular Android phone for the last few months. Sony Ericsson France CEO Pierre Perron said the company was still in talks with Microsoft about using Windows Phone 7, but it prefers Android because Google's operating system allows it to introduce more product differentiation. "With Windows 7 we run the risk of standardising our smartphones. We would be obliged to compete only on design on price, which we want to avoid", he told Les Echos, adding that Sony Ericsson had no plan to launch a tablet.