Google Android Takes Over Half Of All Smartphone Sales

In the third quarter (Q3) of 2011 Google Android OS accounted for 52.5 percent of smartphone sales. Globally, Symbian came in second with 16.9 percent of market share and Apple iOS rounded out the top three at 15.0 percent market share for Q3.

Looking at the numbers Android was able to more than double its share from Q3 2010 which was at 25.3 percent and iOS was at 16.6 percent in Q3 2010. Is there any way to explain this reversal of fortunes where Google Android is on the rise and Apple's iOS market share has declined.

One would say consumers and delayed product launches by Apple is the key criteria. Remember, the iPhone 4S was not released until Q4 2011 and Apple traditionally has their iPhones released in Q3 so this would explain the decline in numbers as consumers delayed their purchases.

On the other hand, Android's growth doubled which is extremely impressive. Can an argument be made that getting your operating system on as many devices as possible is the only way to truly become a market leader? If you simply look at it from an economics position Google is in the driver's seat to reap considerable market share for years to come especially if they keep this pace up.

Research In Motion is still considered to be a worthy player in the smartphone race but it saw its market share drop to a low of 11 percent in Q3 2011.

Overall, smartphone sales are seeing great growth where there were 115 million units reaching consumers in Q3 2011 which is an increase of 42 percent from the third quarter of 2010. But from Q2 to Q3 in 2011 smartphone growth was only at 7 percent. Many analyst believe market conditions and consumers waiting on new devices to be released later in the year can account for this slowdown.

Lastly, smartphone sales accounted for 26 percent of all mobile phones sold, growing minimally from the 25 percent in the previous Q2 of 2011.

Read via BGR