NPD Group: Android ahead of iPhone OS in the United States

According to the NPD Group, the Android OS is now present on more devices in the United States than the iPhone, although both remain behind Blackberry OS.

Slowly but surely, Android is increasing their market share thanks to the support of numerous manufacturers and a wide range of available handsets. Their presence is particularly noticeable in the North American market.

The research group NPD Group has noted that for the first time, the Android OS has a greater share of the market (28%) than the iPhone OS (21%) making it the second  most widely used Smartphone platform in the United States, behind Research in Motions Blackberry OS (36%).

The distribution of compatible phones by mobile carriers has certainly played an important role in increasing market share for Google, along with the diverse range of handsets on offer. Through a range of promotional offers, the carrier Verizon Wireless obtained almost as much market share as AT&T in the first quarter of 2010 (around 30%).


Different economical models
In comparison, the iPhone is distributed solely by AT&T in the United States. The fact that Android has the support of various carriers has provided it with greater exposure than purely through direct sales, something which Google attempted with their Nexus One phone which didn’t quite have the desired results.

With an applications portal that is starting to become significant and a mobile platform that is now maturing with version 2.x available, Android seems to be well placed for the foreseeable future.