Google Android continues to dominate smartphone OS market share

Google Android continues to dominate the smartphone OS market, with its lead continuing to expand, now controlling 83.1 percent after Q3, according to the Gartner research group. Apple iOS (12.7 percent), Microsoft Windows Phone (3.0 percent), and BlackBerry (0.8 percent) greatly trail Android. Both Windows Phone and BlackBerry lost share, as Android is able to attract a growing number of consumers worldwide.

"Microsoft needs to keep the momentum going from the third quarter, when Windows Phone-based devices grew quarter-on-quarter thanks to the introduction of more mid-range devices," said Annette Zimmerman, Gartner research director, in a press statement.

The iOS is only available on iPhones, while Android can be found on a number of smartphones from a wide variety of manufacturers. Android is expected to keep its dominant stance as the No. 1 smartphone OS for the foreseeable future, as Google continues to develop the popular OS.