Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS continue march to smartphone domination

Now in the hands of more than two-thirds of American smartphone users, the popular mobile platforms from Google Inc. and Apple Inc. are continuing to squeeze competitors out of the U.S. market, comScore Inc. said in new research released Tuesday. In data about American smartphone usage, comScore reported that, during the last three-months, the Google and Apple mobile platforms reached U.S. market shares of 41.8 per cent and 27 per cent, respectively. By far the fastest growing platform in a smartphone market of approximately 82.2 million users, Google’s Android operating system gained 5.4 per cent of the market share between April and July this year, the report said. Keeping pace with these three-month gains, Android's market share rose by approximately 1.7 per cent in July alone. Apple-based smartphone users also increased by approximately 1 per cent over the three-month period, including gains of 0.4 per cent between June and July. The gains reflect growth in new smartphone users at a higher rate and at the expense of BlackBerry-producer Research in Motion Ltd. (RIM), which according to comScore, saw its share in the smartphone market drop by approximately 4 per cent since April. RIM also lost 0.6 per cent of the overall U.S. mobile device market since April, bringing its share of the mobile device market down to 7.6 per cent and representing its lowest total share since December 2009, according to comScore data. ComScore said the U.S. mobile device market now has 234 million users. RIM is preparing to make a line of smartphones available next year on the company's new QNX operating system, which is expected to be compatible with Android mobile applications. The Windows and Symbian smartphone platforms, designed by Microsoft Inc. and Nokia Inc., respectively, also continued to slide during the three-month period, losing 1 per cent and 0.4 per cent of their market shares, respectively, comScore said. Microsoft's new Windows Phone 7 is expected to be seen on more mobile devices following the announcement of a major partnership this year to supply the operating system for Nokia phones. In another boost for Android Tuesday, Motorola Mobility Canada said in a release that it commissioned a study to TNS Canada, which found that “close to 40 per cent of Canadian company decision makers across all company sizes are considering Android smartphones for business use.” "We are clearly seeing a shift to the Android platform for corporate use as companies of all sizes look to provide a workable mobile culture for their employees," Motorola’s senior director of global enterprise sales, Sheldon Hebert, said in a release. The research cited the “ease of use” of email, calendar and syncing functions as some of the key features decision makers are looking for in a smartphone. Larger businesses are also particularly keen on Android security features, such as password recovery, autolock, and remote tracking and wiping, the report said. news@thewirereport.ca

Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS continue march to smartphone domination

News | 08/30/2011 9:09 pm EDT

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