Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone may have surpassed BlackBerry devices in sales but the BlackBerry OS now tops the iOS when it comes to mobile Internet usage, according to web analytics firm StatCounter.
Research In Motion's (NASDAQ:RIMM) BlackBerry OS came in at 34.3 percent in November, overtaking Apple's iOS (33 percent) for the first time in the U.S. market. Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android is making huge inroads, nearly tripling Internet market share from 8.2 percent last November to 23.8 percent this year. Meanwhile, Apple's iOS has fallen from 51.9 percent to 33 percent.
"These figures suggest that developers should not be developing solely for the iPhone to the exclusion of BlackBerry and Android," commented Aodhan Cullen, CEO, StatCounter.
Globally, Symbian leads all rival platforms, accounting for 31.9 percent of subscriber usage--iOS follows at 21.9 percent, trailed by BlackBerry at 19.3 percent and Android at 11.6 percent. StatCounter explains that Internet usage across Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) new Windows Phone 7 operating system is not yet registering: "You can never underestimate Microsoft but it looks to have its work cut out," Cullen said.
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