Verizon iPhone Sales Boost Dents Android’s Lead

[Maura]

The launch of the Verizon iPhone is responsible for Android’s slight slip from its dominant position for the first time since the second quarter of 2009, according to NPD’s “Mobile Phone Track” survey, as reported on by MacRumors. The survey, which covers U.S. mobile phone sales in the first quarter of 2011, found that the strong launch of the CDMA Verizon Wireless iPhone helped Apple to take a chunk out of Android’s lead, although Android is still way out in front. According to the survey, Android OS fell to 50 percent of smartphone unit sales in Q1 2011, down from 53 percent in the prior quarter, whereas Apple's iOS’s share rose 9 percent to 28 percent. BlackBerry OS fell 5 percent to 14 percent.

NPD also had more good news for Apple, naming the iPhone 4 as the best-selling mobile phone in the U.S. during Q1,with the iPhone 3GS joining it in second place, probably due to the drop in price to $49 with a two-year AT&T contract. As far as all mobile phones are concerned, Apple came in third, with 14 percent of the market, LG were second with 19 percent, and Samsung were top with 23 percent. For the first time ever though, smartphones made up the majority of U.S. mobile phone sales at 54 percent.

Source: Verizon iPhone Surge Yields First Slip in Android U.S. Sales Share in Two Years - Mac Rumors