NPD: Android Sales Beat iPhone in Q1

The latest installment of the never-ending coverage of who’s winning the smartphone handset war involves the release of NPD data for Q1 2010 (US market). The firm said that RIM was number one but that Android had edged the iPhone for the number two position:

PD’s wireless market research reveals that based on unit sales to consumers last quarter the Android operating system moved into second position at 28 percent behind RIM’s OS (36 percent) and ahead of Apple’s OS (21 percent).

Strong sales of the Droid, Droid Eris, and Blackberry Curve via these promotions helped keep Verizon Wireless’s smartphone sales on par with AT&T in Q1. According to NPD’s Mobile Phone Track, smartphone sales at AT&T comprised nearly a third of the entire smartphone market (32 percent), followed by Verizon Wireless (30 percent), T-Mobile (17 percent) and Sprint (15 percent).

Those Q1 quarterly sales data again:

  • RIM: 36%
  • Android: 28%
  • Apple/iPhone: 21% 

The data are based on self-reported consumer survey data. Overall marketshare data from IDC and comScore show Apple ahead of the various Android handset makers:

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Source: IDC 5/10

 Here are the comScore smartphone data (US):

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