Android takes market share from all comers

Android handset sales have shown strong growth over the past three months.

The Android operating system took market share from all other players in the US market over the past three months, according to new data from comScore.

Android phones accounted for 13 per cent of the market, tying for third with Microsoft's 13.1 per cent. Apple dropped a point to 24.1 per cent, while RIM still dominates the market with more than two out of every five handsets.

One third of mobile users downloaded an application in the past three months, and almost two thirds sent a text message. The strongest growth area in data use was accessing social networking and blogging sites, with one in five using their mobile phone for this in May.

Overall the smartphone market has grown 8.1 per cent over the past year, the report found, with 49.1 million users in the US. The total US mobile market is estimated at 234 million users.

Samsung showed slight growth and remains the most popular manufacturer with 22.4 per cent of the market, but is virtually level with LG and Motorola. RIM and Nokia have around eight per cent of the market apiece.