Majority of smartphones sold in the US run Android

THE MAJORITY of US smartphone sales are now Android devices, according to market watcher Nielsen.

Google's Android already had 43 per cent of the market according to Nielsen, however when it looked at those consumers who bought smartphones in the last three months, 56 per cent had opted for an Android handset. Apple's share of the market remained stagnant at 28 per cent with Research in Motion (RIM), maker of Blackberry devices, seeing its market share cut in half to just nine per cent.

Nielsen also reports that the US smartphone market is growing with 56 per cent of phones sold being smartphones. That means not only has Android increased in market share, the whole market is bigger too.

From Apple's point of view, holding steady during the previous three months is impressive considering that the Iphone 4 has been out for over a year now. Nielsen's previous data shows that following an Iphone launch, Apple's market share tends to pick up.

According to Nielsen, the past three months' figures are important because they often show where the market is heading. It's no surprise that Android is doing so well, with a number of standout devices from many smartphone makers having been released in the past few months.

Nielsen's figures outline what a bad time RIM has been having, with a disastrous showing in the US, arguably it's core market. RIM's QNX operating system can't come soon enough for the Canadian company.

The following three months will not only see Apple's new Iphone but also the holiday buying season in the US. Android's main advantage is that firms are increasingly loading Android onto less expensive smartphones, while Apple continues to focus on the high-end. µ