Shipments of Android smartphones worldwide jumped 886 percent in the second quarter from a year ago, according to a report released Monday.
Growth in the United States was particularly robust, market researcher Canalys said in the report.
The entire U.S. smartphone market grew 41 percent in the second quarter year over year, making it the largest smartphone market in the world by a huge margin. Android devices captured 34 percent of that market in the quarter, representing growth of 851 percent and making it the largest smartphone platform in the U.S.
"In the United States, for example, we have seen the largest carrier, Verizon Wireless, heavily promoting high-profile Android devices, such as the Droid by Motorola and the Droid Incredible by HTC," Canalys principal analyst Chris Jones said in a statement.
Android smartphones are also seeing a surge in demand in the Asia-Pacific region. China, specifically, is the world's second largest smartphone market. The number of Android devices shipped hit almost 475,000 in the second quarter, up from virtually no presence in that country a year ago.
Nokia's smartphones are still tops in China, but Android smartphone makers such as Motorola and Samsung are pushing forward, as are local vendors, giving Android devices a 7 percent share of the country's market in the second quarter, Canalys said.
"The story in the Asia Pacific region is similarly optimistic around Android," Canalys senior analyst TY Lau said in a statement.
Android phones come from a variety of manufacturers, including HTC, Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and LG.
Among specific smartphone manufacturers worldwide, Nokia still leads the industry overall with 38 percent market share.… Read more