Google’s Android OS seems to be running laps around the competition. According to the latest figures out of Gartner, Android’s market share in Q3 was a whopping 52.5 percent, more than doubling its share since Q3 last year. 

Overall smartphone sales also grew and they now make up about 26 percent of all mobile phone sales. Nokia’s Symbian emerged as the big loser in the quarter, losing 20 percent year-over-year to end the quarter with a meager 16.9 percent share. Nokia is in the process of shifting to Windows Phone instead, but Redmond’s share still remains quite low, despite the fact that Windows Phone is emerging as a pretty good alternative to both Android and iOS.

RIM also shed 4.4 points to 11 percent of the overall smartphone market. Interestingly, RIM dropped to 10 percent in the US market, which was traditionally its home turf.

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