Android continues to surge, report shows

Among the other major players, RIM was the leading smartphone platform with 37.6 percent of U.S. subscribers. Apple was next in line with 24.2 percent. Microsoft accounted for 10.8 percent, and Palm came in last with 4.6 percent. These four companies shedded market share to Android during the quarter, but ComScore noted in its press release yesterday that most smartphone platforms still won more subscribers outright over the summer due to ever-increasing consumer demand.The 55.7 million people in the U.S. who owned smartphones during the three months ending August represented a jump of 14 percent over the prior three months.Analyzing the overall mobile phone market, Samsung was the top handset manufacturer for the three months with 23.6 percent of U.S. subscribers, ComScore noted. LG was in second place with a 21.2 percent share, followed by Motorolawith 18.8 percent, RIM with 9 percent, and Nokia with 7.6 percent. Among the top five handset makers, only Samsung and RIM took home gains in market share.Over the same period, 67 percent of the mobile users texted on their devices, 34.5 percent used mobile browsers, 32 percent downloaded apps, 23 percent played games, 22.5 percent visited social networks and blogs, and 15 percent listened to music. All six activities rose in popularity among subscribers compared with the prior three months.

Android beats surging iOS again on mobile ad network

Android remains top dog among all mobile platforms as seen by mobile ad network Millennial Media.For the second quarter of 2013, Android snared 51 percent of all ad impressions on the network, according to the latest Millennial Media Mobile Mix report released Friday. That number was up from the 46 percent seen in the second quarter of 2012 and down just one percentage point from this year's first quarter.iOS remained firmly in second place. But it showed a healthy gain in ad impressions, rising to 42 percent last quarter from 34 percent in the same period last year. Combined, Android and iOS snagged 93 percent of all impressions, leaving little room for other mobile platforms.BlackBerry OS saw its share fall to 7 percent from 15 percent. Windows Phone and Nokia's Symbian, which scored 4 percent and 1 percent, respectively, in 2012's second quarter didn't even register a blip last quarter.Among device makers, Apple continued to reign with 39 percent of all ad impressions. The iPhone was the leader with a 22 percent share. The iPad and iPod Touch took third and fourth places, respectively, among the top 20 devices.Samsung followed with a 26 percent share thanks to its Galaxy S smartphone, which was the No. 2 device among the top 20 with a 9.8 percent share. The Galaxy Note also proved popular with a 44 percent gain in its ad impressions.