Android powers half of all smartphones worldwide

 

Number of phones using Google’s software doubles in 6 months.

More than 200 million mobiles now use the Android operating system.

Search company Google, which launched the software in 2007, says the number of Android devices worldwide has doubled since May, when the figure was nearer 100 million globally.

Data from research firm Gartner suggests Android now powers 52% of all handsets with an operating system on-board. This is largely thanks to successful products from mobile makers HTC and Samsung, as well as Google’s own range of Nexus smartphones.

Google recently launched the Galaxy Nexus, the first device to feature a brand new version of Android - named Ice Cream Sandwich - as it competes for Christmas sales with the Windows 7-powered Nokia Lumia 800 and the “impossibly thin” Motorola RAZR.

According to Gartner, smartphone sales will rocket in the final weeks of 2011, after global demand slowed down slightly between July and September.

Principal analyst Roberta Cozza, said: “Some consumers held off upgrading in the third quarter, because they were waiting for promotions on other new high-end models that were launched in the run-up to the fourth quarter. Other consumers were waiting for a rumoured new iPhone and associated price cuts on older iPhone models.”

In October, technology giant Apple launched the iPhone 4S, an upgraded version of its bestselling iPhone device. More than four million units were sold within three days of it going on sale - the most ever for a phone.

However, at the recent Gadget Awards hosted by Stuff magazine in London, the iPhone 4S failed to win over critics, becoming the first iPhone to leave the annual ceremony empty handed.

The Samsung Galaxy S II was crowned “Phone of the Year” at the awards, while “Highly Commended” handsets included the HTC Sensation, Blackberry Bold 9900, Google Nexus S and the Nokia E6.

Apple did have some success, however, beating its Korean rival Samsung’s Galaxy Tab to the “Tablet of the Year” prize with its iPad 2 device.

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