Google's Android operating system captured 52.5 percent of the global smartphone market during the third quarter, more than doubling its share from the same time period last year, according to data from Gartner.
"Android benefited from more mass-market offerings, a weaker competitive environment and the lack of exciting new products on alternative operating systems such as Windows Phone 7 and RIM," Roberta Cozza, principal research analyst at Gartner, said in a statement.
Symbian captured the second place spot with 16.9 percent of the global market, but that was down from 36.3 percent last year. Apple's iOS rounded out the top three with 15 percent, down slightly from 16.6 percent.
"Apple's iOS market share suffered from delayed purchases as consumers waited for the new iPhone," Cozza said.
Indeed, many U.S. wireless carriers reported fewer iPhone activations this quarter as users held out for the next iPhone. The iPhone 4S finally made its debut on Oct. 14 and has been a huge success for Apple and its carrier partners, so those numbers could shift in the upcoming quarter.
RIM was fourth with 11 percent, also down from 15.4 percent last year. "Continued pressure is impacting RIM's performance, and its smartphone share reached its lowest point so far in the U.S. market, where it dropped to 10 percent," according to Cozza.
Samsung's bada platform edged out Microsoft's OS with 2.2 percent compared to 1.5 percent, Gartner found.
Gartner also tracked handset makers, and while Nokia was the leader in mobile phone device sales, Samsung was the world's number one smartphone maker. Samsung sales reached 24 million, which Gartner attributed to strong sales of its Galaxy S lineup.
Apple was number four, shipping 17 million iPhones, which was an annual increase of 21 percent but down 3 million units from the second quarter.