Verizon Wireless' iPhone 4 was the top smartphone sold in the U.S. through February. While this helped Apple iOS grow to 25.2 percent share, Google's Android OS grew to 33 percent.
Verizon Wireless' iPhone helped Apple iOS gain nearly a full percentage
point of market share through February, but it didn't impede the progress of
Google's Android operating system, according to the latest U.S.
data from comScore.
Android led the market in February with 33 percent share, up two percentage
points from comScore's count of
31.2 percent share in January.
Research In Motion's BlackBerry retained the No. 2 spot, but slipped to 28.9
percent through February from 30. 4 percent the prior month.
BlackBerry had been at 33.5 percent in November, but saw share plummet
instead of gain through the holiday season as consumers continued to buy any of
100-plus Android smartphones in the United
States or snap up an iPhone.
No. 3 smartphone platform Apple iOS grew to 25.2 percent share in February,
up from 24.7 percent through January. Microsoft's Windows Mobile/Windows Phone
7 continues to fall.
In fourth place, Windows Phone fell to 7.7 percent share through February,
down from 8 percent market share in January, which was down from 8.4 percent in
December, 9 percent from November and 9.7 percent through October.
The real story for February was Verizon's iPhone 4, which helped Apple jump
to 7.5 percent in the smartphone standings and accounted for the iOS share growth.
Indeed, comScore
said the CDMA-based device was the top smartphone sold for
February. This is an impressive feat considering the device didn't launch until
Feb. 10, which means it only required 19 days to be the top seller.
Verizon's iPhone 4 succeeded in the face of
AT&T's Android 2.2-powered Motorola Atrix 4G, a quality device
with speedy data service and an optional laptop docking station for better
corporate productivity on the go.
What will be interesting to see is whether or not comScore's data shows that
Verizon's iPhone 4 sales continued to rock with the benefit of a full 31 days
of sales in March, and whether or not that denigrates Android share for that
month.
Verizon shipped the Android 2.2-based HTC
Thunderbolt 4G smartphone March 17, which is reportedly
stacking up well to the iPhone 4 in stores all over the country.
Together, the Android and iOS platforms are dominant, comprising 58 percent
market share in just three years, give or take a few months.
Barring any sea change, there seems to be little room left for BlackBerry,
Windows Phone 7, HP's webOS (a paltry 2.8 percent) or any other platform at
this stage, despite IDC's
belief that Windows Phone will command 21 percent worldwide
market share in five years.
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