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Android has overtaken Nokia’s Symbian OS to become the world’s most popular smart phone operating system.
Sales of phones running Android totalled 32.9 million, and although long-time leader Symbian gave up the number one spot the contest was closely run, with Nokia shipping 31 million units, according to industry researcher Canalys.
Despite the Android breakthrough, Nokia still remains the most popular smartphone handset. The vendor retained its position as the market leader with a 28 per cent share.
That said, Q4 was Google’s quarter, with Android enjoying a huge 615.1 per cent year-on-year growth.
Samsung and HTC accounted for around 45 percent of Google-OS sales, while LG’s fourth quarter sales increased 4,127 per cent on 2009.
Canalys VP and Principal Analyst Chris Jones attributed the success to “commitment and innovation” and called for this to continue.
He added: “Vendors cannot afford to be complacent. 2011 is set to be a highly competitive year with vendors looking to use new technology”, citing dual-core processors, NFC and 3D displays as advancements to expect this year.
Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 failed to make a sales impact, arriving late to the Q4 party resulting in a 5 per cent share, a 3 per cent decline on 2009.
