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Apple’s iPhone iOS blew all mobile operating systems away with nearly 59 percent of mobile Web consumption on iPhone and iPod Touch devices in May.
But Google’s Android operating system is making some steady gains on the iPhone and other platforms.
Android notched roughly a 20 percent OS share for May, followed by 10.9 percent of “other” operating systems and 10.4 percent for RIM’s BlackBerry OS, according to the latest data collected by industry metrics firm Quantcast and made available June 14 here.
Android, which has seen the Motorola Droid, HTC Droid Incredible and HTC Evo 4G smartphones launch to varying degrees of success since November 2009, has taken market share from Apple’s iOS and the rest.
Android took 1.3 percent share from its rivals from April to May, 4.6 percent in the quarter from March to May and 12.2 percent from May 2009 to May 2010.
Quantcast, which calculated its figures by counting the share of page views from mobile devices, said Android took 4.7 percent market share from iOS for the quarterly numbers and 8.1 percent year-over-year.
“This is not the same as the number of devices, however we believe that the ability to easily browse the Web is a key leading indicator of the long term position of the various platforms,” Quantcast said in its blog post about the stats.
These figures prove there is momentum for Android, which has saturated the market with some 60 devices.
However, Apple has sold more than 50 million iPhones, including almost 9 million in the previous quarter. Nielsen puts iPhone’s share at 28 percent of the U.S. smartphone market, tripling Google’s own 9 percent.
Moreover, Apple’s iPhone 4 goes on sale June 24, paving the way for the company to boost those iPhone unit shipments.
It wouldn’t be inconceivable for Apple to crack double digits for the quarter, selling 10 million iPhones between the now-discounted iPhone 3GS and the iPhone 4.
This battle will play out over time and the mobile OS platform war only starts with smartphones. Expect a new front in the battle between iOS and Android to open in the tablet market. Quantcast did not include the iPad in its mobile OS numbers.
In selling 2 million-plus units in 60 days, Apple’s iPad is already raking in money and plaudits.
Android tablets are sprouting up everywhere. Verizon is building an Android tablet with Google, while Dell’s Streak is coming to the United States next month. Samsung is building a tablet now, too.
Of course, there is also Google TV to consider in the future and whatever Apple decides to do on that front to answer Google.