Android Continues to Gain US Smartphone Market Share, Says Nielsen
By Ashok Bindra, TMCnet Contributor
The latest numbers from market research firm The Nielsen Company shows that Google Android (News - Alert) continues to maintain the leading position in the US smartphone market. As per Nielsen’s recent report, the third quarter 2011 Android share accounted for 43 percent of the market share as compared to Apple’s (News 
- Alert) 28 percent. According to Nielsen, Android’s gain was at the cost of Research In Motion (RIM) and Microsoft. Both, RIM and Microsoft have been losing share lately. Together, the two accounted for 25 percent of the smartphone market. Likewise, Symbian (News - Alert) and webOS were part of the other category, which represented four percent total share, as per the Nielsen study.
Nielsen’s third quarter survey of mobile users reveals that while only 43 percent of all US mobile phone subscribers own a smartphone, a mobile phone with a powerful operating system, the vast majority of those under the age of 44 now have smartphones. In fact, 62 percent of mobile adults aged 25-34 report owning smartphones. And among those 18-24 and 35-44 years old, the smartphone penetration rate is hovering near 54 percent.
Other groups show slightly lower penetration rates. Around 40 percent of 12-17 year-old teens and 40 percent of 45-54 year-olds reported owning a smartphone, as opposed to a more basic feature phone.
After younger adults, the segment with the second fastest-growing smartphone penetration rate is those aged 55-64. Smartphone penetration among this older group is only 30 percent, but it jumped five percent this quarter, the study shows.
Among those who say they are likely to get a new smartphone in the next year, approximately one third say they want their next smartphone to be an iPhone (News - Alert) and one third say they want an Android device. However, among those who say they are usually the first to embrace new technologies, “Innovators” or the earliest of early adopters, Android leads as the “Next Desired Operating System” – 40 percent for Android compared to 32 percent for iOS, according to a Nielsen survey of mobile phone users.
Ashok Bindra is a veteran writer and editor with more than 25 years of editorial experience covering RF/wireless technologies, semiconductors and power electronics. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.
Edited by Rich Steeves
