According to The NPD Group, the Android mobile operating system was installed in 44 percent of all smartphones purchased in Q3, an increase of 11 percentage points since Q2; Apple iOS held relatively steady versus last quarter, rising one percentage point to 23 percent; RIM OS fell to third position, declining from 28 percent to 22 percent.
Based on U.S. consumer purchases of mobile phones in Q3, four of the top five handset models were smartphones, as follows:
- Apple iPhone 4 (read review).
- BlackBerry Curve 8500, smarpthone (read review).
- LG Cosmos, messaging phone.
- Motorola Droid X, smartphone (read review).
- HTC EVO 4G, smartphone (read review).
"Much of Android's quarterly share growth came at the expense of RIM, rather than Apple," said Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis for NPD. "The HTC EVO 4G, Motorola Droid X, and other new high-end Android devices have been gaining momentum at carriers that traditionally have been strong RIM distributors, and the recent introduction of the BlackBerry Torch has done little to stem the tide."
According to NPD's Mobile Phone Track, when OS unit share for the third quarter of 2010 is compared to the third quarter of 2009, the declines among Android competitors were as follows: RIM OS share declined by 53 percent, and Apple iOS share declined 21 percent. "There has not been much share left to grab from the other operating systems," said Rubin. "The iPhone has held its own at AT&T, but Apple faces challenges in further expanding its domestic market share, while still retaining exclusivity."
- Top Ten Best Android Smartphones Now and Later.
- Top Ten (Plus) Best Coolest Free Android an' Droid Apps Review of Reviews.