Android loses ground to Apple in second quarter

Android still owns more than half the U.S. smartphone business, but it declined in both shipments and market share in the second quarter.
Google's mobile OS grabbed a 56 chunk of the the market in the June quarter, down from 61 percent a year ago, according to a report released today by Strategy Analytics. Shipments fell to 13.4 million from 15.3 million in 2011's second quarter.
At the same time, the iPhone saw increased demand. Apple's smartphone market share surged to 33 percent last quarter from 23 percent a year ago. Shipments rose to 7.9 million from 5.9 million over the same period.
Apple revealed last week that it sold 26 million iPhones for the quarter. That proved lower than the 29 million anticipated by Wall Street but up 28 percent from the 20.3 million sold in the prior year's quarter. And with a new iPhone reportedly on the way in September, Apple is poised to witness a surge in demand in the coming months.
"Android remains the number one platform by volume in the United States, but its market share is approaching a peak and Apple iOS has been gaining ground," Strategy Analytics executive director Neil Mawston said in a statement. "Apple is rumored to be launching a new iPhone in the coming weeks, and that event, if it takes place, is going to heap even more pressure on Android in its home market."

(Credit: Strategy Analytics)

In third place, BlackBerry continued to lose market share, dropping to 7 percent from 11 percent last year. Citing the new number as RIM's lowest level in years, Strategy Analyst blamed the downfall on "Blackberry's limited toushcreen smartphone portfolio and repeated delays to its new BB10 operating system."
Overall, U.S. smartphone shipments fell 5 percent in the second quarter to just under 24 million.
"This was one of the slowest growth rates ever experienced by the important U.S. smartphone market," Strategy Analytics associate director Alex Spektor said in a statement. "A volatile economy, maturing penetration of smartphones among contract mobile subscribers, and major operators tightening their upgrade policies to enhance profits were among the main causes of the slowdown."

Samsung and Apple ship almost half of all smartphones, but Samsung maintains lead

IDC's latest figures offer some predictable reading. More phones are being sold than ever before; 406 million units were sold in Q2, against 401.8 million in the same period last year -- with a 42 percent increase in smartphone sales. The winners? Perrenial court antagonists, Samsung and Apple, with the duo doubling their combined market share over the last two years. Samsung maintains its lead, reaching over 50 million phones sold -- and a new quarterly sales record -- while Apple saw a quarter-over-quarter decline, as buyers presumably wait for Cupertino's latest iteration, or go elsewhere. Nokia, meanwhile, had another "transitional" quarter, with sales of both Symbian and MeeGo devices shrinking, although its Windows Phones proved stronger. According to IDC's figures, Nokia and Microsoft's team-up handset sales have doubled since last quarter. HTC misses out on a top three spot, but its fortunes appear to have improved over the last two quarters, with the IDC pointing the finger at a more streamlined product range from the Taiwan manufacturer. ZTE continues to nip at its heels, reaching the top five thanks to strong entry-level smartphone sales in China, while continuing to inch onto US shores. If you're looking for a full breakdown of all phones sold, dumb and otherwise, read up at the source below.

IDC