The Google Android platform grabbed the majority of mobile phones in the US market in early 2014, as consumers all but abandoned non-smartphone handsets, a survey shows.
The poll by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners found 53 per cent of new mobile phones activated by US customers were Android devices in the January-March period.
Apple's iOS, the platform used by the iPhone, accounted for 42 per cent, the survey found.
Windows and BlackBerry devices each accounted for one per cent, while non-smartphones were just three per cent, the research firm said.
Late last year 20 per cent bought a "basic" mobile phone.
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Research firm co-founder Mike Levin said Apple's iPhone user base "grew a little faster than Android, from a smaller base, even though in absolute terms Android - used in Samsung phones - had a larger share".
He added: "The long-term issue is where Android and iOS growth will come from when there are no more basic phones being retired. First-time smartphone buyers are key to that equation."
The report was based on a survey of 500 US adults, from April 1 to 6, who activated a new or used phone in the first three months of the year.
Recent surveys of global phone users show Android has a nearly 80 per cent share of smartphone sales.
