iPhone & Android Gain Marketshare Through February

Android and iOS both gained marketshare in the U.S. during the three months ending in February, as both platforms pushed other smartphone competitors further into the background. Google’s Android remains on top and officially took a majority share of 50.1 percent during the period, while Apple’s share increased to more than 30 percent, according to a comScore report released Tuesday.

The research firm compared the data to the three months ending in November of 2011, and found that smartphone ownership in the U.S. rose 14 percent to 104 million, with most of that growth coming from Android-based phones. Android grew 3.2 percent to hold a majority of market share at 50.1 percent. The figure below shows that Apple’s iOS also grew 1.5 percent during the same time, arriving at a 30.2 percent overall market share.

February 2012 comScore Mobile Platforms

Chart by The Mac Observer from comScore data.

Microsoft and struggling Research In Motion both fell, by 1.3 and 3.2 percent, respectively, although Microsoft is poised to regain share in the coming months as a result of the company’s aggressive marketing and pricing of Nokia’s flagship Lumia 900 phone. Symbian saw no change, maintaing its 1.5 percent share throughout the quarter.

comScore Top Mobile OEMs

Chart by The Mac Observer from comScore data.

Although iOS was outgrown by Android on an overall platform basis, Apple managed to outgrow its competitors from an OEM perspective. The Cupertino company rose 2.3 percent in the quarter to 13.5 percent of OEM production, as shown in the figure above. This data is for all mobile handsets, including feature phones and smartphones, though Apple’s share stems only from its iPhone line.

Apple’s growth allowed it to surpass Motorola, which fell 0.9 percent, and become the third largest producer of mobile handsets for the U.S. market. Samsung (25.6 percent) and LG (19.4 percent), still lead Apple.