14 DAY TRIAL // Leading market research company The NPD Group recently published a new market research according to which Google's Android operating system is moving closer to taking the leading position in the US. According to the research firm, the Android OS took the second position from Apple in Q1, and it accounts for 28 percent of the smartphone market in the US. For comparison, RIM's BlackBerry platform, the leading OS on the market, holds 36 percent share, while Apple's iPhone OS accounts for 21 percent share.
The Android platform managed to shake the smartphone market in the US in Q1, as it easily left Apple's OS behind, the research firm stated. “As in the past, carrier distribution and promotion have played a crucial role in determining smartphone market share,” said Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis for NPD. “In order to compete with the iPhone, Verizon Wireless has expanded its buy-one-get-one offer beyond RIM devices to now include all of their smartphones.”
NPD’s Mobile Phone Track also unveiled the fact that Verizon Wireless managed to keep up with AT&T when it comes to smartphone sales during the first quarter of the year, greatly helped by Droid, Droid Eris, and Blackberry Curve via its promotions. At 32 percent, AT&T managed to sell about one third of the entire number of smartphones delivered in the time frame, with Verizon coming on the second position with 30 percent, T-Mobile with 17 percent and Sprint with 15 percent.
“Recent previews of BlackBerry 6, the recently announced acquisition of Palm by HP, and the pending release of Windows Phone 7 demonstrates the industry’s willingness to make investments to address consumer demand for smartphones and other mobile devices,” Rubin said. “Carriers continue to offer attractive pricing for devices, but will need to present other data-plan options to attract more customers in the future.”
The mobile phones enjoyed a slightly increased price during the quarter, helped by the growing popularity of messaging devices and smartphones, even if the overall sales were slower. The average selling price for all handsets reached $88 in Q1, marking a 5 percent increase from the same time frame a year ago. The smartphone selling prices went to $151 on average in Q1 2010, registering a 3 percent increase over year.