Android more popular than iOS for the first time

The results of a survey to determine the popularity of mobile phone operating systems in the US have just been released, and for the first time since ever, Android beats iOS in terms of popularity. We all knew Android was growing strong, but we didn’t expect it to overtake this soon. The holiday season has really managed to push Google’s mobile operating system to the top. According to the survey done on a number of US smartphone subscribers, 33% of users are on RIM’s BlackBerry OS, while Android is now in second place with 26% and iOS third with 25%. But like all surveys, it only reflects a number of customers in the US since it’s impossible to sample the whole country, and the 1% lead might not be completely accurate. Well, it does show both Android and iOS growing and BlackBerry declining – which is what’s been happening recently anyway. With rumors of the iPhone arriving on Verizon’s network this year, it’s going to be interesting to see how it will change things, especially since BlackBerry has been dropping in popularity on Big Red due to Android. Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 should also play a bigger role in the ongoing smartphone wars this year. Expect exciting times ahead.