Android Captures More of the Smartphone Market

From PC World: Market research firm Canalys has given Google's Android OS a 35 percent share of the smartphone market for the first quarter of 2011. Nokia had a share of 24 percent, with iOS on 19 percent.

Compared to Canalys' figures for the fourth quarter of 2010 Apple had increased its market share by three percentage points. This was partially due to a strong performance in the United States, said Canalys, following the launch of the Verizon iPhone in January.

Android's increased share was largely because of strong performances from key brands, according to Canalys principal analyst Pete Cunningham.

"HTC, Samsung, LG, Motorola and Sony Ericsson drove Android shipments in the first quarter, with each vendor shipping well over 3 million devices. Samsung also shipped nearly 3.5 million bada operating system-based smart phones, outperforming total shipments of Windows Phone devices by more than a million units," he said.

Canalys also said that Nokia shouldn't be considered as a declining force as it remained strong in many markets. "Nokia is under considerable strain in the smartphone market as it transitions strategy, platforms and people," said Cunningham.

"Its worldwide reach, however, should never be underestimated. Canalys' country-level data shows that the vendor remains number one in 28 countries, including mainland China, where it grew 79 percent to 8.9 million units, thanks in part to Chinese New Year shipments," he continued.

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