Top 5 Mobile Operating Systems in 2020 (by market shares)

16 min readNov 10, 2020

A mobile operating system is the software platform on top of which other programs can run on mobile devices. Mobile phones, tablets, smartwatches, 2-in-1 PCs , smart speaker, or other mobile devices have mobile operating system with the device. While computers such as typical laptops are ‘mobile’, the operating systems used in them are not considered as mobile operating systems. Mobile operating systems combine features of a personal computer operating system with other features useful for mobile or handheld use and usually including a wireless inbuilt modem and SIM tray for telephony and data connection.

According to the above graph we can have following statistical data on Mobile Operating System market share worldwide in the year 2020.

No 01 : Android Operating System

The Android mobile operating system is open and free software stack that includes an operating system, middleware and also key applications for use on mobile devices, including smartphones. This is based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open source software, designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Android is developed by a consortium of developers known as the Open Handset Alliance and commercially sponsored by Google. It was unveiled in November 2007, with the first commercial Android device launched in September 2008. Updates for the open source Android mobile operating system have been developed under “dessert-inspired” version names (Cupcake, Donut, Éclair, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich) with each new version arriving in alphabetical order with new enhancements and improvements.

Features of Android Operating System

Android runs on many devices of different companies which are member of OHA.
Android can run multiple apps at the same time (Multitasking and Multitouch)
Android supports optimized graphics VGA, 2D graphics and 3D graphics.
Android application developed by Java and C/C++.
Android supports wireless communication using 3G networks, 4G networks, 802.11 Wi-fi networks and Bluetooth connectivity.
Android user gets millions of applications that user cannot get in any other mobile operating system.

Advantages of Android Operating System

Open Ecosystem: Android operating system give you a lot of choices when it comes to installing your favorite apps. Android comes inbuilt with Google Play Store which is the official store for downloading apps from the house of Google. But apart from this you also have the option to download your favorite apps from any third party app store as well. You can simply download a particular app from the developer site and flash it into your device in order to use it seamlessly.
Diverse Phone Options: Android is available as an operating system in different phones from a wide variety of manufacturers. This means you can choose your favorite mobile based on your manufacturer brand preference and you get Android installed in it. This gives you a lot of freedom while purchasing the mobile phone of your choice .
Open Source Operating System: This is one of the greatest advantages of the Android operating system. As the source code is open for all, developers and device manufacturers can easily access the source code and make necessary changes as per their hardware compatibility if required. This makes the operating system highly customizable and research oriented.
Multiple widgets on screen : You can choose native widgets or 3rd party widgets to appear on the screen. For example, displaying temperature and clock widgets gives you information all the time when you switch on your phone.
Affordable : Since Android OS is affordable to buy so most of the customers love to buy android phones because of the low price of android phones. iOS and windows phones are more expensive as compared to android phones.
APP Distribution : With iOS apps, you need to use the Apple App Store. With Android apps, you don’t need any of that. Just publish the app where you wish. There’s no “empire” looking over your shoulder. There are a lot of third-party stores and you can publish your app very easily.

Disadvantages of Android Operating System

Automatic closing of Apps/Games : The main drawback of Android Operating system is that large apps are forced by OS to close and it is very annoying for the android user.
Cause Device Defects : Android is a very heavy operating system and most apps tend to run in the background even when closed by the user. This eats up battery power even more. As a result, the phone invariably ends up failing the battery life estimates given by the manufacturers.
The Android app store is open to every publisher. It’s easier to get apps published in the Play Store as the space is not continuously monitored. Therefore, most Android apps are half-baked and also not malware-proof.
While Android’s open-source nature makes it easy to customize any Android device, the same aspect also turns out to be a negative trait as hackers don’t have to bang their heads for hours together to get through the system and play spoilsport.
Android OS is decentralized, or there’s no apex governing body since the actual versions running on third-party devices are customized. This results in lack of support or assistance for users during glitches or grievances.
Some updates relating to apps and the OS may happen by themselves, without seeking the consent of the user. This can hog up unnecessary memory space.

No 02 : iOS Operating System

iOS is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. The mobile devices produced by Apple Inc. such as iPhones, iPod Touch and iPads (until the introduction iPadOS in 2019) are powered by iOS mobile operating system. It is the world’s second-most widely installed mobile operating system, after Android. It is the basis for three other operating systems made by Apple: iPadOS, tvOS, and watchOS. The iOS mobile operating system is available only on Apple’s own manufactured devices as the company does not license the OS for third-party hardware. Although some parts of it are open source under the Apple Public Source License and other licenses. Apple iOS is derived from Apple’s Mac OS X operating system. Unveiled in 2007 for the first-generation iPhone, iOS has since been extended to support other Apple devices such as the iPod Touch (September 2007) and the iPad (January 2010). Major versions of iOS are released annually. The current stable version, iOS 14, was released to the public on September 16, 2020. It brought many user interface changes, including the ability to place widgets on the home screen, a compact UI for both Siri and phone calls, and the ability to change both the default web browser and email apps. No devices were dropped, as all devices supported by iOS 13 are able to run iOS 14.

Features of iOS Operating System

iOS is an objective C based operating system.
No antivirus is required for iOS since there is checking been done in the app store.
iOS is a closed-source operating system.
The iOS user interface is based upon direct manipulation, using multi-touch gestures such as swipe, tap, pinch, and reverse pinch.
iOS offers various accessibility features to help users with vision and hearing disabilities.
Multitasking operating system.
Siri is an intelligent personal assistant integrated into iOS. The assistant uses voice queries and a natural language user interface to answer questions, make recommendations, and perform actions by delegating requests to a set of Internet services.

Advantages of iOS Operating System

Easy to use : OS has a simple interface that helps its users to use the mobile device easily.
Ideal for app developers : Android has a vast range of devices will different screen sizes and it becomes very difficult for app developers to make the app for different screen sizes. But iOS has few devices and developers can make apps easily.
Heat generation: Generates less heat when compared to Android
Google maps : Apple users say that they have good experience using Google maps and android lacks some features of Google maps.
Gaming : iPhone users have great experience in playing games. The games are built by top-notch companies and all games have to go through app approval teams. Only those games are approved which have no problem in their code and which can run smoothly in the device.
Media : Excellent for media entertainment. iOS devices give enough storage to store your media files. Users can also get more space by using iCloud services.
Performance : The overall performance of iOS is good. Whether you are playing games or using any other app, your device will not hang. New iOS versions are getting better than before and their performance is improving.
Security : As apps in the Apple app store have to go through a strict approval process so only apps with better security are approved. You cannot expect your phone is in danger and there are very fewer chances that your phone gets any virus or malicious code inserted.
Supports multi-language : You have the choice to choose any language in your device. There is plenty of language support for your device. iOS currently supports 21 languages including Spanish, Chinese and Portuguese.
iOS Is More “Intuitive”

Disadvantages of iOS Operating System

Apps are costly : The apps are costly in price and there is no widget support for the apps. If you compare apps with android then most of the android apps are free to use.
Limited devices : iOS only runs on Apple devices and users have to keep stick with similar look and feel of the UI. As you know android has a vast range of devices and each device has its custom UI due to customization of android.
Not open source : iOS is not open-source that mean you cannot customize and cannot use iOS on devices other than Apple devices. If you consider android then it can be customized easily by any mobile company like Samsung, Huawei or HTC.
App approval : It is very difficult for the app to get approved. Developers have to wait for at least 7 days for app approval and most of the time app doesn’t get approved.
Large apps size : The apps in iOS have high file size and consume high space in the device. Most of the gaming apps have download size in GB (gigabytes).
NFC and radio : iOS does not provide NFC and radio support. NFC provides communication between nearby devices but it is not supported by iOS. If you want to listen to the radio then you have to download radio apps and radio is not built-in in iOS devices. On android, radio comes built-in in devices.
Addictive UI : The UI of Apple device is very addictive to use. If you have used any Apple device like iPhone, iPad, iWatch you cannot move to other devices because the look and feel of the devices are very addictive.
Battery performance is very poor on 3G

No o3 : BADA (Samsung Operating System)

Bada is a proprietary Samsung mobile OS that was first launched in 2010. The Samsung Wave was the first smartphone to use this mobile OS. Mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers use this operating system. All devices running Bada were branded under the Wave name. Bada provides mobile features such as multipoint-touch, 3D graphics and of course, application downloads and installation.

The Samsung S8500 Wave was launched with version 1.0 of the Bada operating system. Samsung soon released version 1.0.2, which included minor fixes for European users. The latest version 1.2 was released with the Samsung S8530 Wave II phone. The alpha-version of Bada 2.0 was introduced on 15 February 2011, with the Samsung S8530 Wave II handset. To foster adoption of Bada OS, since 2011 Samsung reportedly had considered releasing the source code under an open-source license, and expanding device support to include Smart TVs. Samsung announced in June 2012 intentions to merge Bada into the Tizen project, but would meanwhile use its own Bada operating system, in parallel with Google Android OS and Microsoft Windows Phone, for its smartphones. On 25 February 2013, Samsung announced that it would stop developing Bada, moving development to Tizen instead. Bug reporting was terminated in April 2014.

As a Linux-based mobile operating system, Tizen was developed and actively used by Samsung. Originally conceived as an HTML-5 based platform, this open-source mobile OS was aimed towards mobile devices and Samsung as a successor to their old MeeGo operating system. What’s good about Tizen is that its source model runs in open source. That means if you want to customize your phone, it’s possible and it’s totally legal. Tizen also offers the power of native application development with the flexibility of unparalleled HTML5 support. Which means apart from mobile, potential application developers can extend their reach to different smart devices. These include smartwatches, gaming consoles and more. Today, TizenOS is everywhere and not only on smartphones. The current version if Tizen right now is the Tizen version 4 which had an update last May.

Features of BADA Operating System

Extensible core functions : A call dialer, messaging and address book, which Bada applications can freely use. Bada will give developer the chance to access phones’ accelerometers, tilt, weather, proximity and activity sensors, so they can build apps that respond to tilting the phone.
Smart phones for everyone : More and more people want the rich and connected application-experiences that are currently only available for smart phone consumers. Samsung has developed BADA to make these exclusive smart phone experiences available to everyone.
Tools
The new UI tool includes the ability to embed the AdobeFlashPlayer and WebKit Internet Browser directly into native Bada applications. Also Bada map Control can be used for mapping in applications. Also Eclipse and GNU tool-chain can be used as IDE for development purpose.
Feature-rich developer platform
The new OS will deliver simple, instinctive, and innovative visual design using Next Generation UI Framework. Bada supports motion sensor and face detection. Also it provides mechanism to develop sensor based and context-aware applications.
Service Oriented Features
Developers can create service-centric applications like social networking applications for managing user profiles, location applications for mapping etc.

Advantages of BADA Operating System

Open Source.
Provides SDK to develop another applications.
Have sensors like Apple iOS. 4. Samsung`s Reliability.
Cheaper in comparison to iOS.
It also supports Flash.
A very good User interface and have a very new look.
Free applications are available in App stores.

Disadvantages of BADA Operating System

Less numbers of applications.
Provides low Battery backup as compare to iOS.
Bada also use large memory space.
API applications can not use SMS and MMS data.
If Samsung Bada OS is used in cheaper smart phones, then the processing power to switch from one application to another for multi tasking may not be much smooth and productive as and when it is used in high range smart phones.

No 04 : Unknown Mobile Operating Systems

Though there is plenty of mobile (OS) available in the market, iOS and Android still dominates the market by popularity. However, it doesn’t mean you need to follow everyone’s trail for iOS or Android. Even though they might be dominating the market, it doesn’t mean that they are the perfect platforms. Here are some popular Unknown mobile operating systems used in 2020.

Sailfish OS

Sometimes called SFOS, it is a mobile OS that runs on Linux and developed by Jolla. Though it was originally shipped with Jolla smartphones and tablet, now, it is being used by corporations and government bodies in Europe. What makes this mobile operating system stands out most is its securely encrypted systems. Besides, it also comes with a regional licensing model, where it provides solutions for all kind of mobile payments and banking transactions. The best part, even communications, and other corporate solutions are guaranteed secure. Another plus point for using Sailfish OS is that it’s compatible with any Android ecosystem. That means users of SailfishOS can enjoy the perks of this operating system and have the capability to install any apps found on Android at the same time. If you have doubt about Sailfish OS, their latest version is the Sailfish 3 proves this system is no worst than major mobile OS like Android. In fact, you’ll find this independent yet partner-friendly operating systems boast on many of Sony’s mobiles too.

Ubuntu Touch

Also known as the Ubuntu Phone, it is a mobile version of the Ubuntu operating system originally developed by Canonical. Though some speculations suggest that Ubuntu Touch has officially shut down, its updates for the OS continues with the support from the UBPorts community. Dating back to its history, the project started in 2011 was designed intentionally for touchscreen smartphones. As UBPorts versioned the needs for a more customizable OS for tablets, laptops, desktops, TVs, Smartwatches and other input-output devices. Ubuntu focuses on completing and unifying the user experience on touchscreens. Now, the UBPorts team continues to provide updates on Ubuntu Touch and compared to another custom Ubuntu OS. The key difference is that this platform boasts specifically on its accuracy. Comparing to the original Ubuntu, Ubuntu Touch has better security to restrict malware attacks. While some might complain that the lack of applications on Ubuntu is a bad thing, but the limited apps create a vector to prevent security breaches from the unknown downloads. However, if you’re wondering where you can find this OS, try out the BQ Aquaris M10 — the first Ubuntu-based tablet. And just last year, the Ubuntu Touch upgraded its previous version — 15 Vivid Vervet from Canonical to version 16 Xenial Xerus. If you’re uncertain about its future, the UBPorts community doesn’t seem to slow down its development the Ubuntu Touch OTA 11 will be rolled-out quickly after the OTA 10 last august.

Plasma OS

Plasma OS was released in 2011 and is another open-source user interface for mobile phones. Also runs on a Linux operating system, Plasma mobile gives users full control in customizing their OS. Making it a fully hackable device as the developers have claimed. Plasma’s mobile runs on the KDE Plasma operating system. As a part of Plasma Active family, Plasma OS was developed by the international free software community to focus on smart devices specifically for your mobiles and tablets. Currently running on KDE Plasma 4, Plasma mobile has all full features of its base framework, including some of the open-source widgets.

PostmarketOS

One of the new players in the mobile platform, PostmarketOS a.k.a PMOs rolled into the market in 2017. Based on the Alpine Linux operating system, it boasts on its open-source community. In PostmarketOS, there are plenty of distinctive features including the capabilities to run different user interfaces from X and Wayland. The best resemblance of postmarketOS to PlasmaOS is its similar interfaces to Plasma Mobile, Hildon, MATE, GNOME 3 and so on. What makes postmarketOS different from other mobile operating system is that it does not use the conventional Android build system. Instead, it uses the mainline Linux kernel. The reason being more secured to avoid the risks of security exploits. After its launch, a constant update has been actively rolled-in too. These updates include device supports where over hundred of devices can boot the operating system. With its success, many more devices are planned to be included in the support list. Hence, making this mobile operating system more accessible to everyone who wishes to change their original OS to postmarketOS as an alternative.

7. PureOS

PureOS runs on a Linux distribution and uses the GNOME desktop environment. As a part of the development by Purism, PureOS include a series of free and open-source software that can be found in all Librem smartphones. Instead of being a Linux-based smartphone OS, it projects high similarity to a Linux-based smartphone. The primary feature in PureOS includes the user-friendly interface and high security and privacy protection. And since the security breaches are increasing, PureOS is especially ideal to scare avoid consumers data leakage.

LineageOS

A free and open-source operating system based on the Android platform, LineageOS was used primarily to set-top boxes for televisions, smartphones and tablet computers. Developed by the LineageOS community, LineageOS aimed to be the successor to the ROM CyanogenMod after its developer; Cyanogen discontinued the development and shut down the said infrastructure. The operating system was launched in 2016 with its source code available to download to the public. Its framework is available to use for more than 185 phone models and currently has almost 2 million active installs. Same with any open source community, LineageOS also allows its community to get in touch with the developments. That means users are given the opportunity to contribute additional data for future developments. The best part, this option allows a user and developers to have the flexibility to customize. And thanks to its open-source, it continues to expand to more devices and increases its longevity due to constant OS updates.

No 05 : KaiOS Operating System

Yet another OS by Linux, KaiOS is part of KaiOS technologies that is based in the United States. This phone operating system depends highly on the source code of B2G or Boot to Gecko. For those who wonder what’s B2G, it’s actually an open-source operating system that acts as a successor to the discontinued Firefox OS from Mozilla. KaiOS made its first appearance in 2017 and with its rising popularity, in the following year, Google invested with the value of $22 million and Reliance Jio. Subsequently, an Indian-based telecom operator also invested $7 million and picked up a 16% stake in KaiOS Technologies. Its primary features were to bring 4G LTE E, VoLTE, GPS and Wi-Fi capabilities to non-touch smart devices along with HTML-5-based apps. Besides, KaiOS also aims to promote better battery lifespans, lesser memory, and energy consumption. Similar to the Android’s Play Store and iOS App Store, KaiOS also has a dedicated app store called the KaiStore. Here, users can download an assorted of applications that is compatible with the operating system. Due to its rising popularity, KaiOS is now actively optimizing its user interface for easier navigation. Hence, it’s no surprise that KaiOS can come hand-in-hand with OS titans like Android in certain countries. For example, in India, KaiOS is dominating the market instead of iOS or even Android. In fact, there’s speculation saying that this operating system may surpass the world-famous Apple’s iOS in terms of a number of users in the upcoming years. As of 2018, there are already 23 million KaiOS devices shipped worldwide. So, let’s see what’s future beholds.