Android, Apple iOS Chip Away at RIM's Smartphone Share

Google and Apple continued to chip away at Research in Motion's smartphone mobile OS share in the U.S., with Google's Android jumping past RIM's BlackBerry to nab the number-one spot, and Apple inching closer to land at number three.

According to data published by comScore, Google's Android OS smartphone share jumped 6 percent during the first three months of 2011 to reach 34.7 percent, while RIM dropped 4.5 percent to land at 27.1 percent. Apple was close behind to 27.1 percent, a 0.5 percent increase from December 2010.

Rounding out the top five were Microsoft and Palm with 7.5 percent and 2.8 percent, respectively, both a 0.9 percent drop.

Overall, 72.5 million people had smartphones in the U.S. by the end of March, up 15 percent from the last three months in 2010. About 234 million Americans, meanwhile, owned mobile devices. Samsung was the number one device manufacturer with 24.5 percent of the market, though that was down 0.3 percent since December. LG landed at number two and remained flat at 20.9 percent, followed by Motorola and RIM, which took a 0.9 percent and 0.1 percent dip, respectively, to land at 15.8 percent and 8.4 percent.

With the release of the Verizon iPhone, however, Apple continued to make gains and land at the number-five spot with 7.9 percent of the market, a 1.1 percent increase.

Despite Android's dominance, however, older iOS products are apparently more popular than new Android devices. According to data from Canaccord Genuity technology analyst Michael Walkley, there is still strong demand for the iPhone 3GS and first iPad. At AT&T stores, for example, the $49 iPhone 3GS outsold newer Android devices like the HTC Inspire and Motorola Atrix, AppleInsider reports.

Last month, comScore found that Apple's iOS platform has twice the reach of Google's Android in the United States. Apple's iOS, which includes the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, had an installed user base of 37.9 million, which was 59 percent higher than Android's installed user base of 23.8 million.

PCMag