Google chief Eric Schmidt at the Techonomy conference revealed that his company is now activating 200,000 Android phones a day. The tally is 25 percent higher than the 160,000 per day in late June and is double the 100,000 phones that were being switched on just three months ago. The rapid growth rate is backed by word that Android may have overtaken BlackBerry and iPhone US market share in the spring.
The rate is “incredibly phenomenal,” according to Schmidt, who wasn’t sure how long it would continue. He wasn’t concerned that the free licensing inherent to most Android phones was hurting revenue as many Android owners run Google searches that pop up ads and generate revenue from impressions and click-throughs.
