Apple and Android Fight for Hands of Smartphone Consumers

The popularity of smartphones is more prevalent than ever. A new study by Nielsen reveals that as of Q2 2013, 62 percent of mobile subscribers in the U.S. are using smartphones. But which operating system is winning the smartphone market?

According to Nielsen, the Android operating system is currently in the lead with a 52 percent market share of smartphone owners in the U.S. during Q2 2013. Apple iOS came in second with 40 percent market share. BlackBerry came in a distant third with 3 percent share, followed by Windows Phone with 2 percent.

The study also looked at smartphone manufacturer share by operating system. Samsung was the largest manufacturer among Android phones, with 24 percent of all smartphones owned in the U.S. Android’s market share was helped by devices from HTC (9 percent), Motorola (9 percent), and LG (7 percent).

But Apple still holds on to the largest market share among smartphone manufacturers in the U.S. Apple has increased its share among smartphone owners by 6 percentage points since the release of the iPhone 5 last year, up from 34 percent in Q2 2012.

Smartphone manufacturer RIM is continuing its decline, with its BlackBerry devices now claiming just 3 percent of the U.S. smartphone market.