Android global smartphone lead grows to 35 per cent

Android smartphones have established a clear lead in global handset sales, according to new figures from Canalys.

The analyst firm said that Android powered 35 per cent of all smartphones sold in the first quarter of the year, or 35.7 million of the 101 million units shipped globally.

Nokia's market share was cut to 24 per cent in the quarter, despite rising sales mainly in the Asia Pacific region.

"Nokia is under considerable strain in the smartphone market as it transitions strategy, platforms and people. Its worldwide reach, however, should never be underestimated," said Pete Cunningham, principal analyst at Canalys.

"Canalys' country-level data shows that Nokia remains number one in 28 countries, including mainland China, where it grew 79 per cent to 8.9 million units, thanks in part to Chinese New Year shipments."

China, South Korea and India all saw triple-digit smartphone sales growth, and Asia Pacific is now the largest smartphone market region with year-on-year growth of 98 per cent. This beats Europe for the first time since 2007.

The top five smartphone vendors are Nokia, Apple, RIM, Samsung and HTC, according to the Canalys figures.

Apple has shown strong growth on the back of the iPhone to gain 19 per cent of the market, but RIM's share fell this quarter, which the company attributed to delays with certification of the new BlackBerry 7 operating system.