Android Sales Outpace iPhone in August

Smartphone devices running Google’s Android mobile operating system were more popular than iPhones among new acquirers in the U.S. during August, according to data from The Nielsen Company.

The measurement firm estimates 32 percent of handsets acquired over the course of the month were the running Android OS, compared to 25 percent running Apple’s iPhone OS, and 26 percent running RIM’s BlackBerry OS. Android’s growth appears to have come at the iPhone’s expense, its share dropping from 26 percent in July, while Android’s grew from 28 percent.

Overall, however, the iPhone still accounts for more smartphone devices in the market at 28 percent, but Android is catching it rapidly, growing its share by six percentage points in the last three months.

The continued growth of Android has important implications for both developers and advertisers operating in the mobile space. For both parties it makes sense to prioritize the platform with the largest audience, and based on its current rate of growth, that’s likely to be Android within the next six months.