Google touts record Android devices and social

Google CEO Larry Page revealed during his company's fiscal results call that Android had reached 190 million activated devices worldwide. The figure came several months after reaching 100 million at the start of 2011. Activations had stepped up to 550,000 per day, he added later.

The tally shows Android continuing momentum but also still behind Apple from an absolute standpoint. During the iPhone 4S launch event, Apple revealed that there had been 250 million iOS devices switched on in the platform's history. While the iPhone still makes up the core of its sales, Apple has had the advantage of a much stronger presence in tablets and MP3 players, where Android is either failing or has very few entrants.

Apple was helped by having well over a year's head start with the iPhone and iPod touch, as well as roughly a year's lead on tablets in the iPad.

Along with the device mix, Page mentioned that Google+ had hit 40 million total users. The base was a steep climb from 25 million just a few weeks ago and suggested that it was still seeing interest even as critics said interest was going down. It's not clear how many are truly active, although live streams and mobile video chat, along with just-added real-time search and hashtags, may help keep it relevant.

Google had one of its best quarters ever during the period, marking up $9.72 billion in revenue over the summer or about a third more than it made a year earlier. It made a net profit of $2.73 billion, or nearly 26 percent more than it had at the same point in 2010. Mobile revenue was key to those figures as it grew about 2.5 times higher to more than $2.5 billion.

By Electronista Staff