UPDATED 08:55 EDT / JANUARY 17 2011

Android Outships the iPhone, Steve Jobs Takes Another Medical Leave

Steve Jobs made a rare appearance at Apple’s earnings call yesterday, and admitted that Android devices outshipped Apple’s iPhone during the last quarter of 2010. A fresh comScore report also indicated Android outmatched the iPhone in terms of sales, but Google is still behind RIM in U.S. sales.

“During a rare appearance on Apple’s last earnings report, he admitted that Android “outshipped” Apple “as we were transitioning to iPhone 4.” And he added that he was most interested in how sales of the two competing Smartphone operating systems did during the final quarter of 2010.”

Android is ahead of the iPhone in not only sales figures, but also in the OS department, reports Millennial Media’s Ad Network, where it broke a 2-month tie with Apple’s iOS. Apple’s iPhone sales figures will be unveiled tomorrow in Apple’s quarterly performance announcements. Some sources expect Apple will announce 15.2 million iPhones sold in its FYQ1, but Steve Jobs most likely won’t attend, due to another medical leave, announced in a press release this morning.

In a letter to Apple employees and later on in an official release by Apple, Steve Jobs has taken another formal medical leave and COO Tim Cook will take charge of day-to-day operations, again.

Jobs is the face and voice of Apple from more than one aspect, and this becomes especially relevant knowing that Apple is reaching one of its biggest inflection points with the iPad, and the iPhone’s expansions to Verizon, as well as a recently updated iOS. There have been circling  rumors Jobs may be sickly  for years now, and this latest medical leave may have an influence on Apple’s stock and public perception, especially in light of the fact this is not the first medical leave Steve Jobs has taken in the past few years.


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