According to the latest mobile user survey from Nielsen, Apple remained the top US smartphone manufacturer even before the release of the iPhone 4S, accounting for a significant 28% of all smartphones in the country.
Although Apple did go down as the largest smartphone manufacturer in the US, the story doesn’t end as well for iOS. The report concluded that, while iOS currently captures 28 percent of the market, Google’s Android platform accounts for around 43%.
Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that all this data was collected prior to the release of the iPhone 4S, and perhaps just as notable, prior to Apple making the iPhone 3GS into a free phone with a 2-year contract, and reducing the iPhone 4 to just $99.
The study also reveals that smartphones are becoming more popular, and 43% of all phones in use are “smart.” Also, a vast majority of users under the ager of 44 now use smartphones, suggesting that the devices are more popular with younger audiences.