Samsung, Google Lead in Mobile Market Share

According to August data published today by comScore Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), the mobile handset market share leader continues to be Samsung Electronics, followed by LG Electronics, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), Motorola (now part of Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG), and HTC Corp.

On a three-month average basis, Samsung grabs 25.7% of the handset market, while LG gets 18.2%, and Apple gets 17.1%. Samsung’s share was flat to the previous three-month average measured in May, while Apple gained 2.1% and HTC gained 0.2%. LG and Motorola lost less than 1% share each.

In the software operating system (platform) market, Google’s Android gets 52.7% share, followed by Apple with 34.3%, Research in Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) with 8.3%, Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) with 3.6%, and Symbian, formerly owned by Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK), with 0.7%. Only Google and Apple added share in the three-month period.

comScore claims there are 234 million mobile devices in the U.S. in the hands of users 13 years of age and older. The most used application on mobile devices is text messaging, which more than 75% of mobile device owners say they use. Downloaded apps are used by 53.4% of subscribers and 52% use a web browser. Social networking or blog access attracts 38.3% of users and 34% played games on their mobile devices. Finally, 28.3% of mobile subscribers listen to music on their mobile devices. All these numbers are higher than in the May 2012 survey.

Paul Ausick