Android and Windows smartphones excel in market: survey

BANGALORE, INDIA: Google's Android mobile operating system extended its dominance in smartphones in the US and other major markets in early 2013, according to a survey published on Monday.

Kantar Worldpanel ComTech said Android was used on 49.3 per cent of smartphones sold in the US market in the first quarter, compared to 43.7 per cent for Apple's iOS, the operating system for the iPhone.

Android has thus boosted its lead from a year ago, when was ahead of Apple by a margin of 47.9 to 44.6 per cent.

In other major markets, Android was even more dominant - with 93.5 per cent of smartphones in Spain, 73.6 per cent in Germany, 69.4 per cent in China, and 63.3 per cent in France.

Japan was the only country in the survey where Apple was in the lead, with a 49.2 per cent market share to 45.8 per cent for Android.

But the survey also showed gains in several countries for a relative outsider, Microsoft's Windows Phone, following the upgraded platform introduced in late 2012.

In the United States, Windows boosted its share to 5.6 per cent from 3.7 per cent a year ago, Kantar said. Windows grabbed 10.9 per cent of smartphone sales in Italy, 7.2 per cent in France and 7.0 per cent in Britain.

(SOURCE: AFP)