Google's Android phones Operating System smartphone in the world past the Apple iPhone and Blackberry to Canada in the third quarter to become the second largest platform for Symbian smartphones after Nokia, the research firm Gartner said on Wednesday.
Gartner said Nokia of Finland sold 29.5 million smartphones during the third quarter by 36.6 percent worldwide market share, compared with 44.6 percent a year ago.
The Android smartphone sales rose to 20.5 million units, the Android platform a market share of 25.5 percent, compared to only 3.5 percent a year, according to Gartner.
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The Apple iPhone was next on sales of 13.5 million units of a market share of 16.7 percent, compared with 17.1 percent a year ago.
Canada's Research In Motion, maker of the Blackberry, was in fourth place with sales of 11.9 million units. Its market share fell to 14.8 percent from 20.7 percent a year ago.
Windows Mobile from Microsoft saw sales of 2.2 million units, giving it a market share of 2.8 percent versus 7.9 percent a year, according to Gartner.
"Smartphone (OS) providers have entered a period of accelerated evolution of the platform, driven by more regular product launches, new platform operators and new types of devices," said Roberta Cozza, principal analyst Gartner.
"Any platform that can not innovate quickly - either through a vibrant ecosystem of several players and a clear vision of a single controlling entity - will lose developers, manufacturers, potential partners and end users."
Gartner said worldwide sales of mobile phones was 417 million units in the third quarter, up 35 percent from a year ago.
Smartphone sales grew 96 percent to 81 million units, accounting for 19.3 percent of total mobile phone sales in the quarter.
Nokia held global manufacturer of mobile phones with sales of 117. 5 million units in the third quarter but saw its market share worldwide slip to 28.2 percent from 36.7 percent a year ago.
Samsung of South Korea was next to sales of 71.7 million units, but its market share also fell - to 17.2 percent from 19.6 percent a year ago.
South Korea's LG phones sold 27,500,000. Its market share fell to 6.6 percent from 10.3 percent a year ago.
Apple overtook RIM for the quarter with sales of 13.5 million units, representing a market share of 3.2 percent, compared with 2.3 percent a year ago.
RIM sold 11.9 million units. Its market share rose to 2.9 percent from 2.8 percent a year.
Sony Ericsson sold 10.3 million units for a market share of 2.5 percent, compared to 4.5 percent, while U.S. Motorola mobile phone maker sold 9.0 million units for a market share of 2.1 percent from 4.5 percent a year ago.
Gartner said Samsung was the top seller of Android on the quarter with sales of 6. 6,000,000 Android phones.
The technology research firm said it expects overall mobile handset sales to grow 30 percent year-on-year in 2010 and sales of Tablet PCs and Apple iPad to reach 54.8 million units in 2011.
