Study: 3 Out of 4 Smartphone Users Have Android

Google Android now dwarfing Apple's iOS in smartphone sales

Despite actually gaining users, Apple's iPhone has become relegated to a niche player in the smartphone market. A new report shows three out of every four smartphones sold in the third quarter of 2012 (July, August and September) used Google's Android operating system.

[ALSO READ:Apple Sells 5 Million iPhone 5, Amid Debut Hiccups]

The survey from industry research firm IDC showed that shipments of Android smartphones made by Samsung, HTC and others almost doubled, reaching 136 million units in the quarter. Android has essentially taken over the market with the sales boosting the company's share of the worldwide smartphone market to 75 percent, from 57.5 percent a year ago.

Apple's share of the market increased to 14.9 percent during the third quarter, from 13.8 percent a year earlier.

Mobile versions of Microsoft's software accounted for 3.6 percent of the smartphone market in the third quarter.

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