Android moves ahead in the smartphone race

The Open Handset Alliance shipped 9.1 million Android devices during the third quarter of 2010, the organisation NPD has revealed, moving the Google mobile system ahead in the smartphone war.

Apple shipped 5.5 million during the third quarter, allowing it to control 26.2% of the market, while Research In Motion came in third behind Apple with 5.1 million devices.

“Much of Android’s quarterly share growth came at the expense of RIM, rather than Apple,” Ross Rubin, NPD executive director of industry analysis, told Information Week.

“The HTC EVO 4G, Motorola Droid X, and other new high-end Android devices have been gaining momentum at carriers that traditionally have been strong RIM distributors, and the recent introduction of the BlackBerry Torch has done little to stem the tide.”