Google’s Android operating system ran on 40% of US smartphones purchased in the six months leading up to November, compared to just 27% using Apple’s iPhone operating system, according to new data.
The report, from Nielsen, noted Apple remains the overall smartphone market leader.
Google’s Android operating system powered 40.8 percent of smartphones purchased in the last six months, though Apple iOS led the United States in consumer market share.
The report released on January 3 puts Apple iOS slightly ahead of its competitors with 28.6 percent of the market.
RIM’s Blackberry OS is (just) holding on to second place with 26.1 percent while Android is quickly gaining on its first and second place rivals and now commands 25.8 percent of the smartphone market.
Apple, Android and RIM are the clear leaders in the smartphone game says Nielsen but three all are statistically tied for first place as Apple’s lead over Android is within Nielsen’s margin of error.
That may change within the future if Nielsen’s figures on new smartphone purchases are to be believed.
Google’s Android platform appears to be experiencing rapid growth in the US, thanks largely to the range of new Android-powered devices appearing on the market.
One thing remains clear in the war for smartphone supremacy, more and more consumers are choosing to purchase a smartphone as their next mobile phone. In November, 45 percent of consumers buying a new phone purchased a smartphone instead of a feature phone.
