Google Android Market Share Jumps 27% in 3 Mos.

April 4, 2011

comscore-share-of-smartphone-market-by-platform-nov10-vfeb11-apr11.gifGoogle’s share of the US smartphone market (primarily representing the Android platform) climbed 27% between the three months ending November 2010 and three months ending February 2011, according to new comScore MobiLens data. Google increased its smartphone platform share in that time period from 26% to 33%.

Google Gains at RIM’s Expense

Google gained most of its smartphone platform marketshare at the expense of RIM, maker of the Blackberry platform. RIM lost almost 14% of its share between November 2010 and February 2011, dropping from 33.5% to 28.9%. RIM maintained a narrowing lead over number three Apple. There were no other significant changes in marketshare among the other three smartphone platforms in the top five.

However, Google built on a trend begun in January 2011, when for the first time it displaced RIM, claiming the top spot with a 31.2% share, up almost 33% from 23.5% in October 2010. Meanwhile, RIM lost 15% of its US smartphone platform share in the same time period, dropping from 35.8% to 30.4%. The other leading US smartphone platform provider, Apple, remained almost flat in percentage by going from 24.6% to 24.7% market share. However, this incremental increase was not enough to keep Apple from dropping from second to third place.

General US smartphone ownership grew dramatically between November 2010 and February 2011, with 69.5 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones during the three months ending in February 2011, up 13% from 65.8 million during the preceding three-month period.

Apple Shows Most OEM Growth

comscore-mobile-oem-mar-2011.JPGFor the three-month average period ending in February 2011, 234 million Americans ages 13 and older used mobile devices, flat from the three months ending in January 2011. Although it maintained its fifth-place spot, Apple saw the strongest gain, up almost 14% to account for 7.5% of subscribers, on what comScore calls momentum from the release of the Verizon iPhone, the most acquired handset in the month of February.

The other OEMs saw little change, with Samsung retaining its top spot. RIM slightly lost share but still led Apple in fourth place.

Mobile Content Usage Up

comscore-mobile-content-mar-20111.JPGIn February 2011, all forms of mobile content usage tracked by comScore showed higher rates of activity than in November 2010. For example, 68.8% of US mobile subscribers used text messaging on their mobile device, up 2.5% from 67.1%. Browsers were used by 38.4% of subscribers, up 9% from 35.3%, while downloaded applications were used by 36.6% of the mobile audience, up almost 10% from 33.4%.

In addition, accessing of social networking sites or blogs increased 13%, growing from 25.3% to 26.8% of mobile subscribers. Playing games increased 9%, from 22.6% to 24.6%of the mobile audience, while listening to music represented 17.5%, up almost 17% from 15% three months earlier.

Google Android Rises 267% YOY

Google Android’s share of the US smartphone market has risen an impressive 267% from February 2010, when it ranked fourth with a 9% share. RIM, number one at that time, held a 42.1% share, meaning it has lost about 31%, or nearly one-third, of its market share in the past year.

About the Data: The comScore MobiLens study surveyed more than 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers

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