Watch Out iPhone, Android Use Is on the Rise

From PC World: Watch out Apple iPhone, Google's mobile operating system, Android continues to increase its popularity at a growth rate of 32 percent year over year, according to a recent report. Mobile advertising provider and metrics firm AdMob, recently acquired by Google for $750 million, released on Tuesday its March 2010 Mobile Metrics Report that includes some interesting data about the growth of the Android operating system. The report also adds more fuel to the argument that Google's Nexus One really might be a successful flop.

Admob's metrics data is based on ad requests from 18,000 mobile Web sites and iPhone, Android, webOS, and Flash Lite applications that have partnered with Admob's advertising network.

Thirty-four different handsets from 12 manufacturers contributed to Android activity on Admob's network during March, but just eleven of those devices accounted for 96 percent of all Android-based traffic. That is a significant increase in devices when you consider that Admob reports only two devices accounted for most Android traffic just six months earlier in September 2009.

The Motorola Droid was the leader of Google's Android army in March, accounting for 32 percent of all of Admob's Android-based traffic. More interesting, however, is news that Google's marquee handset, the Nexus One, made up only two percent of Android Admob advertising requests in March. Google made headlines earlier this year when the search giant decided to sell the Nexus One unlocked and directly to consumers, instead of through a mobile service carrier. Google has since backtracked on this decision, and recently announced it will bring the Nexus One to the United Kingdom and Europe in partnership with Vodafone. Google is also nudging customers in the U.S. to stop waiting for the Nexus One to come to Verizon, and instead opt for an Android-based HTC Incredible.

View: Article @ Source Site