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It's Android or Apple for 71 percent of US smartphone users

Nielsen

Android is the leading smartphone operating system in the United States, while Apple is the leading smartphone manufacturer, Nielsen said Tuesday.

The research firm said 71 percent of U.S. smartphone consumers have either Android phones or iPhones, up from 67 percent in July, when Nielsen issued its previous report.

And while there are app stores from other phone makers, such as BlackBerry and Windows, 83 percent of those who have downloaded an app in the past 30 days had either an Android phone or an iPhone.

According to Nielsen’s latest data, for the third quarter, 44 percent of all U.S. mobile subscribers now have smartphones, and "among those who purchased a new mobile phone in the last three months, 56 percent chose smartphones."

RIM, which makes BlackBerry, continued its decline in US share; Nielsen says RIM had 17.8 percent of the U.S. market, down from 20 percent in July.

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