Apple's iPhone has taken second spot in US market share, ahead of Microsoft's Windows Mobile but behind RIM's BlackBerry smartphone in top spot, according to new research.
The latest report from marketing research company comScore, estimated the BlackBerry has around 40 per cent share of the US smartphone market, while the iPhone has around 25 per cent.
Thursday's report from comScore found that in the three months ending October 2009, Apple's iPhone had nearly 9 million US users, compared with the almost 15 million users whose preference is for RIM's Blackberry smartphone. The report suggested around 7.1 million currently are running Microsoft Windows Mobile based phones.
In the three months ending in July 2009, Apple and Microsoft based smartphones were neck and neck, with a user base of 6.63 million and 6.66 million, respectively.
Reports on Thursday noted the iPhone has actually been outselling Windows Mobile devices in the US for nearly two years.
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Earlier this week, Microsoft revealed that Windows Mobile 7 - the next version of its smartphone OS - is unlikely to be released until "late 2010".
Phil Moore, UK head of mobility at Microsoft confirmed the OS has "been put back until late next year but it is definitely coming". Originally slated for a 2009 release, Windows Mobile 7 is thought to include iPhone-like touch gestures.
ComScore also found US consumer awareness of Google’s Android is growing rapidly, due in large part to a popular Verizon Droid ad campaign.
"While iPhone continues to set the bar with its App Store and passionate user base, and RIM remains the leader among the business set, Android is clearly gaining momentum among developers and consumers," said Mark Donovan, comScore senior vice president of mobile.
Although Android’s share of the smartphone market is relatively small, it has quickly doubled in the past year to 3.5 per cent in October 2009, comScore noted.
"With handsets on multiple carriers, from multiple manufacturers, and numerous Android device models expected to be in the US market by January, the Android platform is rapidly shaking up the smartphone market," Mark Donovan added.
Users of both Apple and Android-supported devices were more likely to engage with mobile media than an average smartphone user according to the report with 94 per cent of iPhone users doing so in September 2009, with 92 per cent of Android device users interacting with mobile media in the same month.
News browsing via the Internet was popular on both platforms, although Apple iPhone users took the lead when it came to using email, with 87 per cent of iPhone users checking mail compared to 63 per cent of Android phone users.
ComScore estimated around 36 million Americans own a smartphone, with approximately 196 million making do with a traditional mobile phone. ComScore provides marketing data and services to many of the Internet's largest businesses.
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