Android, Samsung dominate US market
2012-05-02 08:29
Washington - Google's Android system has grabbed more than 50% of the US smartphone market, while Samsung cemented its leadership as the top device maker, a survey showed on Tuesday.
Even though Apple's iPhone is surging, it has not dented the lead of the Android system and the South Korean manufacturer, according to a quarterly survey from research firm comScore.
The Android system snagged 51% of the operating system market in the three months ending in March, up from 47.3% in the prior quarter, comScore said.
Apple's operating system had 30.7% of the market, up from 29.6%.
The biggest loser was BlackBerry, which saw its platform share fall to 12.3% from 16%. Microsoft's share also slipped to 3.9% from 4.7% and Symbian held steady at 1.4%.
The survey found more than 106 million people in the US owned smartphones during the three months ending in March, up 9% from December.
Samsung remained the top maker of mobile devices including smartphones, with 26% of the US market, from 25.3% three months earlier. Second was fellow Korean LG with 19.3%, down 0.7 points, and Apple was third with 14.6%, up from 12.4% and overtaking Motorola.
A separate report earlier this year concluded worldwide shipments of smartphones soared 54.7% in the final three months of 2011 from the same period a year earlier, with Apple leading the space.
An IDC report found smartphone makers shipped 157.8 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011.
Apple had a 23.5% share of the global smartphone market, followed by Samsung and Nokia with 22.8% and 12.4% respectively.
Android and iPhone smartphones accounted for slightly more than 90% of US smartphone sales in the fourth quarter of 2011, industry-tracker NPD Group reported earlier this year.
