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Google’s Android platform took the top spot for smartphone activations in the US last quarter, according to new data from research firm Consumer Intelligence Research Partners.
Android was the leading smartphone OS in the first quarter, nabbing 53 percent of new smartphone activations during the period, CIRP reported Friday. Apple’s iOS came in second with 42 percent of all activations. Windows Phone and BlackBerry OS could only muster 1 percent market share each.
Android is, by far, the most popular mobile operating system worldwide. CIRP’s new data focuses only on activations and not on the number of devices running Android compared with iOS. If the latter were analyzed, the gulf between the platforms would likely be greater.
The win for Android was good news for Google, which watched its operating system fall behind iOS in the fourth quarter of 2013, when it could only snag 46 percent of activations. Apple nabbed 48 percent in the same period.
CIRP noted that the first quarter included no major device launches, which provides some insight into general consumer interest in smartphones. The rest of the year, however, will be dotted with big smartphone launches, which could lead to spikes in activation figures based on what’s hot at the moment.
The report is based on a survey of 500 US residents who activated devices from January through March.
CNET has contacted Apple and Google for comment on the report. We will update this story when we have more information.
