Google's Android is currently the mobile operating system to beat, but the platform still faces competition from Apple's iOS and, interestingly, Microsoft's Windows Phone 7, according to Tuesday data from NPD.
Among current smartphone owners and those who plan to upgrade in the next six months, Android is the most popular mobile OS, with 63 percent of people expressing an interest in it, NPD found.
"The Android juggernaut continues, and that's not great news for some of their OS competitors," Linda Barrabee, research director for NPD's Connected Intelligence, said in a statement.
One-third of BlackBerry smartphone owners are considering a switch to Android, for example, but "Android is also experiencing continued competition from Apple's popular iPhone, as well as some nascent competition from Windows Phone 7," she said.
About 44 percent of smartphone owners and those who are thinking about buying one are thinking about Windows Phone 7. Thinking, however, does not always equal buying. NPD said 45 percent of people are still not even aware of the Microsoft platform. In fact, the number one reason people gave for not considering Windows Phone 7 was that they "don't know enough about it," followed by those who believed they'd already spent "too much time or money invested in another smartphone OS."
"Windows Phone 7 has a way to go before consumers really understand what it is," Barrabee said. "But with the right marketing mojo, apps portfolio, and feature-rich hardware, Microsoft could certainly improve its standing and chip away at Android's dominant market position."
Last week, Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer admitted that he's not thrilled with current Windows Phone sales, but pointed to the company's upcoming partnership with Nokia as a way to boost the platform's popularity. "I'm not saying I love where we are, but I'm very optimistic to where I think we can be," Ballmer said during Microsoft's financial analyst meeting. "I think with a little bit more effort, a little bit more energy, the level of enthusiasm from the customer base is high enough we've just got to kick this thing to the next level."
Back in March, analyst firm IDC said Android is poised to become the number one mobile operating system in 2011, while the recent Nokia-Microsoft deal could propel Windows Phone to the number two position by 2015.
NPD based its findings on data collected by Connected Intelligence, a service from NPD that analyzes the confluence of connected devices, access, and content.