Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Android Dominate Smartphone Operating Software Segment

Market research data firm IDC has released figures on Tuesday for the second quarter of 2012 which really throws up no surprises.

Android and Apple Inc.(NASDAQ:AAPL) dominate the smartphone segment in terms of operating system, with a combined market share of 85 percent.

Android is the dominant player among smartphones since almost all handset makers use Google's operating software with the exception of Apple, Research in Motion and Nokia.

Apple should get a further boost in the year-ending holiday seasons especially with the launch of its new iPhone and iPad. The ease of use of Android, its ability to be customised according to the equipment maker’s specifications, the millions of applications available for download (many of them free) and the free and easy ecosystem that has been created around the software is one of the reasons that it has become so popular.

Most low-cost mobile phones, especially in emerging markets in Asia, prefer to use Android for their phones.

Here are the highlights of IDC's figures for smartphone sales and market share for the second quarter of 2012 in terms of their operating system.

— Android (Google Inc.) — 104.8 million units, 68.1 percent share (46.9 percent a year earlier)

— iOS (Apple Inc.'s iPhone) — 26.0 million units, 16.9 percent share (18.8 percent a year earlier)

— BlackBerry (Research in Motion Ltd.) — 7.4 million units, 4.8 percent share (11.5 percent a year earlier)

— Symbian (mostly used by Nokia Corp.) — 6.8 million units, 4.4 percent share (16.9 percent a year earlier)

— Windows (Microsoft Corp.) — 5.4 million units, 3.5 percent share (2.3 percent a year earlier)

— Linux — 3.5 million units, 2.3 percent share (3.0 percent a year earlier)

— Others — 0.1 million units, 0.1 percent share (0.5 percent a year earlier)