Is Android really crushing iPhone, or is it hype?

Here at the start of 2013 we're seeing some rather conflicting messages coming from analytical sources across the web, this week's message appearing to be that Android is "crushing" iOS – could it be true? Hardly. The most recent report from Strategy Analytics has Apple selling 17.7 million iPhones in the USA alone, this part of Apple's official number 47.8 million iPhones sold across the planet. Compared the last year that's a 38% year-over-year increase in the USA and the single largest number of iPhones sold in any one quarter in Apple's history.

The same Strategy Analytics report notes that Apple is now the largest mobile phone manufacturer in the United States, having taken that honor from Samsung this past quarter for the first time ever. This includes both smartphones and feature phones, not just smartphones – it includes Samsung's whole smartphone lineup while Apple only sells smartphones in the iPhone across the board.

According to the data presented by Net Market Share on this past month's traffic (and for many months before that), iOS dominates the web by a large margin. Net Applications' data suggests that in January of 2013, iOS had 60.56% of the smartphone and tablet market while Android sat much lower on the list with 24.51%, Android having peaked in November of 2012 with 28.02%. You'll notice there also that iOS had a bit of hump in growth back in the middle of the summer in 2012 and appears to be evening out after a dip near November.

Meanwhile the folks at NPD have shown that the iPhone continues to be the top selling smartphone in the USA with the iPhone 5 model keeping the #1 spot through 2013. NPD's Mobile Phone Track for Q4 2012 in the USA shows Apple taking 39% of the market while Samsung works with 30%, this study showing market share for the top smartphone manufacturers in the USA.

Top selling mobile phones in the USA listed by NPD this past quarter show the iPhone 5 in first place, the Samsung Galaxy S III in second, the iPhone 4S and 4 in third and fourth place, and the Samsung Galaxy S II in fifth. The NPD team also made clear that iPhone sales have been increasing drastically, with comparisons between Q4 and Q3 of 2012 showing iPhone 4S unit sales to have increased 43 percent and iPhone 4 unit sales to have increased a whopping 79 percent.

With Apple's most recent report racking up more than 75 million iOS device sold in the holiday quarter, the Apple mobile sector seems to be doing quite well. With approximately 10 devices sold every second this past quarter, Apple continues to remain quite confident in their cut of the pie.