Android outselling iPhone by two to one in the UK

Android is outselling Apple's iOS platform two to one in the UK, also trouncing BlackBerry when it comes to smart phone sales, according to a new survey.

The study, conducted by the oddly named Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, reveals that nearly half (49.9 per cent) of smart phones sold in Britain are Android devices. The iPhone, by comparison, has a much smaller 18.5 per cent share of the mobile market, with BlackBerry pipping it on 22.5 per cent.

The research was conducted in the 12 weeks leading up to 2 October, and in that period 70 per cent of all mobiles sold were of the smart variety. The firm now reckons a massive 43.8 per cent of the UK population own a smart phone.

Looking at the dates, those figures won't have taken into account the iPhone 4S, which went on sale on 14 October, shifting 4 million worldwide in its first four days on sale. We suspect iPhone sales will have dropped over the summer, as Apple fans postponed their purchases in anticipation of the new iPhone.

Still, it's a turbulent time for Apple and Android -- while the iPhone 4S is a killer bit of kit, it remains to be seen whether it's enough of an improvement on the iPhone 4 to keep its rivals at bay for another year.

Android is about to enjoy an update in the form of Ice Cream Sandwich, but the manufacturers who build Android devices are beset by patent fights.

So, those figures could well change by Christmas, but it's interesting to note both the rise of Android, and the increasing number of people are hopping on the smart phone bandwagon. We know you guys love high-powered mobiles, and we think it's the tech category where the most action is happening, even more so than tablets.

What kind of phone do you own? Do you like a mobile that's rammed full of high-spec gadgetry, or do you join Noel Gallagher in preferring the simple pleasures and long battery life of a basic phone? Enlighten us in the comments, or on our Facebook wall.