Android Activations Hit 500m Ahead of iPhone 5 Launch

Google has attempted to share some of Apple’s limelight today by announcing that more than 500 million Android devices have been activated around the world.

Hugo Barra, director of product management, Android, revealed the figure in a Google+ post and also disclosed that 1.3 million tablets and smartphones running the mobile operating system are activated every day.

This is an increase of 400,000 from June, when it was reported that there were 900,000 Android activations every day.

Android Activations

Android competes with its arch-rival, Apple’s iOS, for supremacy in the mobile arena, with the two operating systems accounting for 85 percent of all handsets shipped during the second quarter of 2012. However Google currently has the upper hand, controlling 68.1 percent of the market compared to Apple’s 16.9 percent.

This is likely to change once the iPhone 5 hits the market, with the smartphone almost certain to be announced tonight at a press event in San Francisco. It is believed that the device will have a larger screen, Near Field Communication (NFC) technology and will be compatible with European 4G networks.

Barra also proudly announced that the Jelly Bean statue had been returned to its rightful place outside the company’s Mountain View headquarters along with its other confectionary-themed Android sculptures. It had to be repaired after it overheated and melted in July, proving that you shouldn’t leave your sweets out in the sun.

How much do you know about the iPhone’s rivals?  Find out with our quiz!