Google's Android operating system beat Apple's iOS in U.S. smartphone market share by one percentage point, according to comScore.
Smartphones
bearing Google's Android operating system
surpassed
Apple iOS in the U.S., grabbing 26 percent to Apple's 25 percent share through
the three-months ending in November 2010.
ComScore
found
that Android now places in the No. 2 slot, behind market leader RIM's
Blackberry OS share, which slipped to 33.5 percent from 35.8 percent through
October. Blackberry, whose share was 37.6 percent in August, continues to see
declining share at the hands of Android and iOS.
Microsoft's Windows
platform share also dropped 1.8 percent to 9 percent through November, as
Windows Phone 7 devices try to gain traction.
While Apple
grew share to 25 percent from 24.6 percent through October, it may have the
greatest cause for concern here. Android's share had yet to crack 19.6 percent
through August, while iOS commanded 24.2 percent share at that time.
ComScore's new
numbers show Android gained 6 percentage points of share since the end of the
summer, while iOS grew less than 1 percent, no doubt on the strength of a strong
iPhone 4 offering.
While Apple
was absent from the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show, Google's Android operating
system drew strong interest, thanks to 4G smartphone announcements from
Motorola and Samsung.
These rivals
will
ship
devices powered by Verizon Wireless' speedy new broadband network later
this year.
Android's
swift rise and iPhone's modest growth make the iPhone launch on Verizon
Wireless all the more crucial for Apple, which is expected to do just that this
quarter. Expect an additional iPhone refresh this summer to challenge Android
handsets.
Samsung
meanwhile enjoyed 24.5 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers. LG ranked second
with 20.9 percent share, followed by Motorola at 17.0 percent, RIM at 8.8
percent and Nokia at 7.2 percent.
Overall, 61.5
million people in the U.S. owned smartphones during the three months ending in
November, up 10 percent from the prior three-month period.
The pie
continues to grow larger for phone makers, which are jockeying for greater
pieces of it.
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