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A recent study conducted by Lady Geek, aka Belinda Parmar, shows that very few women have any idea what Android is or what it can do for them. The survey included more than 78,000 participants from the United Kingdom and was conducted with help from YouGov Sixth Sense, an organization that specializes in comprehensive market intelligence.
Specifically, the poll found that less than 5 percent of women ages 25 to 39 picked an Android device as their next smartphone. Men, on the other hand, chose Google’s mobile platform at a rate of 11.4 percent. An AdMob report from earlier this year revealed similar findings.
So compelling were the figures that Parmar decided to take her findings to Droidcon. And on October 29, Belinda will give her “Android has a ‘Dude’ Problem” report for what I assume will be a male-dominated crowd. The two-day event takes place October 28 to 29 and is aimed at practically anyone with an interest in Android. Look for developers, wireless carriers, handset makers, and various members of the Open Handset Alliance to be in attendance.
In the United States, Verizon’s ubermasculine television advertisements are undoubtedly playing a part in the disparity, a point which with Palmer seems to agree. “Android provides a perfect example of how not to market a platform to women, and so the Android experience has become irrelevant to more than half of the population,” she said in her study.
I would love to see how Android adoption would change if and when carriers and handset makers learn how to market the platform to women. It’s scary to think Android’s growth could possibly be hindered. In my casual observations, I have seen plenty of female users carrying around a wide mix of Android phones, particularly the Motorola Droid.
