Google’s Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt took the stage on the second day of D: Dive into Mobile conference speaking about Android while dishing out numbers and also delving into the future of the mobile platform. Schmidt predicted that the number of smartphones running on Android is expected to cross the 1 billion mark by the end of this year.
Schmidt revealed that currently there are over 1.5 million Android devices activated each day by 320 network operators in 160 countries and positively added, “We’ll cross one billion Android devices in six to nine months. In a year or two, we’ll hit two billion,” AllThingsD reported.
This positive prediction is due to falling prices of devices and manufacturers launching entry-level Android devices to tempt users to switch from feature phones. “Our goal with Android is to reach everyone. And the way that’s going to happen is with the debut of low-end devices from manufacturers, primarily in Asia,” he said.
“If low-end smartphones are inexpensive now, imagine just how inexpensive they’ll be a few years from now. A relatively inexpensive smartphone with a browser is all you need to get the world’s information. And that’s how we’re going to hit the next billion devices,” added Schmidt.
