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While iPhone owners will be clinging to their brand until the bitter end, it looks like Android will be there to capture just about everyone else in the mobile world. A recent survey by Nielsen showed that of those that had purchased a smartphone in the last three months, 56% of Americans picked up an Android handset. The same survey showed that the overall penetration for Android (regardless of when folks bought their phone) is currently sitting at 43%, while iPhone stayed at 28% in both categories. BlackBerry market share is shrinking predictably, with 9% having picked one up in the last three months, versus 18% overall penetration.
It goes without saying that Android has a ton of momentum behind it, but this illustrates the fact nicely, and gives us a sense of where smartphone shopping habits are headed. It’s interesting to see iPhone completely unchanged across recent acquirers and all smartphone subscribers, since it suggests that though few iPhone owners want to switch, iOS isn’t winning many new fans.
Of course, with an iPhone 5 announcement right around the corner, that may very well change, at least for the short term. Details on the next iOS smartphone are slim, so it’s hard to say just how popular it will be, but silly little details like specs and features seem to be inconsequential when it comes to purchasing decisions for many customers.
Now, I can’t help but wonder just how well this trend translates internationally…
[via Nielsen]
About The Author
Simon Sage
Simon Sage’s education largely surrounded writing, technology and online community, leading him to begin his blogging career at www.BlackBerryCool.com and to quickly discover a vibrant and active community surrounding BlackBerry and mobile technology. In exploring RIM’s platform, he has learned what enterprises are looking for in mobility as well as what makes the innocuous BlackBerry so appealing to them. Recently Simon’s been covering RIM’s gradual move into an already-crowded consumer market, and the impact of burgeoning challengers, such as the iPhone, as well as long-time leaders, like Nokia, on BlackBerry’s advancement. With plenty of content under his belt, Simon will be branching off a bit to see what other smartphone manufacturers are working on while still using BlackBerry as a barometer. At IntoMobile, you can count on his posts being even-handed, well-informed and thought-out.
