Android leading smartphones

U.S. consumers bought more smartphones based on Google’s Android system than BlackBerrys or Apple iPhones last quarter, according to a market research company.

Android made up 33 percent of smartphones bought in the second quarter, surpassing Research In Motion’s BlackBerry at 28 percent. Apple was third with 22 percent, said The NPD Group, based in Port Washington.

It was the first time since the last quarter of 2007 that RIM was knocked out of the lead.

“For the second consecutive quarter, Android handsets have shown strong but slowing sell-through market share gains among U.S. consumers,” said Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis for NPD. “While the Google-developed OS took market share from RIM, Apple’s iOS saw a small gain this quarter on the strength of the iPhone 4 launch.”

Rubin said that the BlackBerry Torch unveiled Tuesday “lacks the large screen allure that has characterized some of the best-selling Android devices such as the Droid Incredible and EVO 4G.”

The carriers whose units were sold in the U.S. mobile phone market in the quarter were:

Verizon Wireless — 33 percent
AT&T — 25 percent
Sprint — 12 percent
T-Mobile — 11 percent

Above left, a Kyocera employee holds one of their new Android-based phones.

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