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Android outsells iPhone in US for first time

Apple's iPhone has been outsold in the US by phones using Google's Android operating system for the first time, a leading research company has revealed.

NPD said handsets using the Android system now accounted for 28 per cent of the smart phone market, compared to the iPhone's 21 per cent.

It still lagged behind market leader, Research in Motion, which through their incredibly popular BlackBerry handsets, commands 36 per cent of the market.

NPD said the rise in Android sales owed a lot to successful marketing campaigns, new investment and a rise in the number of vendors using the mobile operating system.

NPD's industry analysis executive director, Ross Rubin, said, "Recent previews of BlackBerry 6 OS, the acquisition of Palm by HP and the impending release of Windows Phone demonstrates the industry's willingness to make investments to address consumer demand for smartphones and other mobile devices."

"Carriers continue to offer attractive pricing for devices, but will need to present other data plan options to attract more customers in the future."

Of the mobile service providers in the US, AT&T holds the largest share of the smartphone market and nearly a third of its customers use advanced handsets. Verizon has 30 per cent, followed by T-Mobile and Sprint with 17 per cent and 15 per cent respectively.

Apple is widely expected to unveil a new generation of iPhone next month, however, and if the leaks are accurate, it could prove to be a huge hit.