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Android powered 56 percent of smartphones sold in the last three months
When last we checked in with Nielsen (which was earlier this month) Google's mobile OS had a sizable lead, powering just under 42-percent of smartphones sold, while Apple had cornered a more than respectable 28-percent of the market. In the few short weeks since, Android has seen its share grow to 43-percent. More interestingly, of the over 25,500 surveyed who had purchased a smartphone in the last three months, a whopping 56-percent chose to go with the Goog. Apple held a steady 28-percent across the board. Big G's gains came at the expense of RIM (only 9-percent of phones sold in the last three months were BlackBerries) and the ambiguous "other" (Symbian, Windows Phone 7, Bada, MeeGo, etc... accounted for 6-percent of sales). More important than choice of platform though, is that smartphone sales in general are climbing -- accounting for 58-percent of all handsets sold in August and driving smartphone penetration to 43-percent.
Canalys: Android rules the smartphone world, Samsung could've done better
Thought Android was killing it in the US? Try the rest of planet Earth, bud. The latest from our friends at Canalys has Google's mobile OS on 48 percent of smartphones worldwide, or nearly one out of every two sold. Mountain View's stratospheric rise came at someone's expense, and it looks like Nokia's the loser here folks, which corroborates the data from last week's IDC report. Espoo's foibles are troublesome in a market that grew 73 percent year over year, especially when Samsung shipped 421 percent more handsets than it did a year ago. As a result, the Korean company has surpassed Nokia in smartphone marketshare, just like its rival in Cupertino. Despite the rampant growth, the research firm suspects Sammy could have done better, noting that it had failed to capitalize on Nokia's "weakened state around the world" with its "global scale and channel reach." We'll see if Samsung takes Canalys' constructive criticism to heart in Q3, but while you wait, you can read the full report after the jump.
Nielsen: Android accounts for 39 percent of smartphones in the US, Apple is the top device maker
Nielsen's just released a study confirming what some other studies have already concluded -- that Android devices account for the single largest swath of smartphone users in the US, with 39 percent OS share as of the second quarter. That compares with 28 percent for iOS, although Apple still reigns as the country's top-selling device maker. Simply put, that's a reflection of the fact that Apple is the only outfit churning out iOS devices, whereas a bevy of companies led by HTC, Motorola, and Samsung have helped make Android the dominant OS in the states. And let's not forget about RIM, another hardware / software shop, which still commands a 20 percent chunk of the market. Rounding out the list, Windows Phone and Windows Mobile account for nine percent, largely thanks to sales of HTC handsets, while webOS and Symbian each eked out two percent. At this point we don't doubt that Android is the most ubiquitous mobile operating system this side of the Atlantic, although it's worth noting that Nielsen based its results on a sample of roughly 20,000 people -- all of whom are postpaid subscribers.
Comscore: Android's UK market share explodes as Apple overtakes Symbian
Look at the chart above and you'll see two things happening. First, Apple has overtaken Symbian to become the top smartphone platform in the UK (with a 27 percent market share). And secondly, Android has grown 634 percent year-over-year to shoot into second place, with less than half a percentage point keeping it from the top spot (other reports already place it ahead). As you might expect, much of that growth isn't coming from folks switching from one smartphone to the other, but from new smartphone users -- Comscore found that 42 percent of all mobile users in the UK used a smartphone in May of this year, compared to just 27 percent a year ago. Of course, that also means that 58 percent of UK cellphone users are still potential smartphone users (to say nothing of those that still don't have a cellphone at all), so there's certainly still plenty up for grabs for all involved.
iPhone, Android "most desired" smartphones for upgraders in the U.S.
Here's a little analyst-based hint for those of you not sure what to get your smartphone-obsessed loved one this holiday season. According to a survey released by Nielsen, 29.7 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers now have smartphones (with Apple, RIM and Android taking the lion's share). Android's market share certainly has been growing, though, with RIM apparently losing out the most. However, out of all the regular mobile phone users who are planning to upgrade to a smartphone, when asked what platform they are most likely to upgrade to in the next year, both Apple's iPhone and Android were on a near par for the "most desired" smartphone operating system with Apple just pipping Android to the post. Apparently, for those planning to upgrade to a smart phone in the next year, it seems women tend to prefer the iPhone more while men, and those in the 35 - 54 age bracket, have a slightly greater tendency towards the Android variety. Nielsen summarizes its findings into the following four points: Among users planning to get a new smartphone, current smartphone owners showed a preference for the Apple iPhone (35 percent), while 28 percent of both smartphone and featurephone planned smartphone upgraders indicated they wanted a device with an Android operating system as their next mobile phone. Featurephone owners planning to get a smartphone are less likely to have made up their mind about the OS they will choose: 25 percent were "not sure" what their next desired OS might be compared to 13 percent of smartphone owners. Those over 55 were markedly less certain than younger mobile users, with 27.8 saying they weren't sure what kind of device they wanted next, compared to 12.2 percent of those 18 to 24. Apple's iPhone and devices with the Android operating system were the "most desired" among likely smartphone upgraders, with Apple showing a slight lead among those age 55+ , 18 to 24, and 25 to 34. Women planning to get a smartphone are more likely to want an iPhone as their next device, with slightly more males preferring Android. So, with all that information, you should have no problem choosing how to best please your loved one with the right smartphone gift this year. Naturally, here at TUAW, we'd suggest the slightly more fruity variety, but hey, the stats are in front of you. For the full Nielsen report click here. [via CNN Fortune]
Canalys: iPhone becomes most popular smartphone in the US, Android continues as most popular OS
The Canalys numbers are out, and with Android coming off an 886 percent jump reported at the end of the second quarter we were expecting something big. So, here it is: Android is up 1,309 percent worldwide from this time last year, taking over 43.6 percent of the US smartphone market in the third quarter. In terms of mobile operating systems that makes it the dominant player in America, but with Apple capturing 26.2 percent it now jumps into the lead when it comes to hardware, beating out RIM's 24.2 percent. That's a swap from last quarter, where BlackBerries beat iPhones 32 to 21.7 percent, and worldwide things are looking the same: Apple at 17 percent compared to RIM's 15. However around the globe it's Nokia and the Symbian Foundation still dominating the stage as the leading smart phone OS vendor, owning 33 percent of the market compared to 38 last quarter, while Microsoft sits at a lowly 3 percent. With WP7 ready to rock the world, and Ballmer ready to release the advertising hounds, that's a figure we'll be keeping a close eye on for the next few quarters. Update: NPD has posted its third quarter smartphone market share and Mobile Phone Track reports; they basically back up Canalys' report, though NPD gives both Apple and RIM slightly less market share. Interestingly, RIM's BlackBerry Curve 8500 series is identified as the second-best selling phone in the US in the quarter, while the lowly LG Cosmos for Verizon takes third. Weird, huh?
ComScore: Android grows US smartphone market share as all others decline
Slip on your fine silk smoking jacket and light up a victory cigar US Android fans, the latest comScore numbers are out for the three-month period ending in May 2010. The most notable trend spotted was a 4 point (up from 9.0% to 13.0%) quarterly increase in Google's Android market share as all other smartphone OS subscribers declined. ComScore also saw Motorola's slide continue, slipping behind LG now for a third place US finish as Samsung continued to bolster its dominant position. Expect the numbers to be jostled a bit next quarter when Apple's iPhone 4 numbers are factored in. Just don't expect to see the Android numbers suffer, especially with the Samsung Galaxy S launching on all the major US carriers before the quarter is done. [Thanks, Jeremy]
