Android continues to power up the smartphone charts, topping US sales in Q3 and accounting for almost half the smartphones sold in the country.
Devices running the Google operating system took 43.6% of sales in the market during the period, compared to 26.2% for Apple and 24.2% for RIM, Canalys revealed.
The figures are in line with research by NPD, which found Android accounted for 44% of smartphones purchased in the US during the quarter, up 11 points on 2Q.
NPD calculated Apple’s share at 23% in 3Q, however both firms agree the iPhone 4 was the top-selling single mobile device in the US during the quarter.
But a year-on-year comparison of operating system share shows Apple’s iOS down 21%, with RIM falling 53%, NPD states.
The market share pattern was repeated in global markets, Canalys added. Apple ranked as second-top solo vendor with a 17% market share compared to RIM’s 15%, but Android headed both with a 25% share.
Nokia still topped the list, despite its share falling from 40% to 33%, but the Finnish vendor will be concerned by how close the combined figures for Android devices now are.
Globally, demand for smartphones was up 95% year-on-year, but grew particularly fast in BRICI (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and Indonesia) markets, with sales up 112%, Canalys said.
“Where smartphone growth in mature western markets has been driven by high-end products, in many emerging markets where disposable income is more constrained, growth is being driven by good-quality products that can attract mass-market volumes in the mid-tier of the market,” principal analyst Chris Jones said.