Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android operating system accounted for 36.2 million smartphones sold worldwide in Q1 2011, according to research firm Gartner. This gave Android a smartphone market share of 36 percent, compared with 27.4 percent from Nokia (NYSE:NOK) Symbian. Android replaced Symbian as the world's leading smartphone platform in late 2010.

In third place was Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iOS, with 16.8 percent of the market. Research in Motion's (RIM:TSE) BlackBerry OS claimed a 13 percent market share for the quarter, while Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows accounted for mere 3.6 percent share.

Android, which Google executives said is being activated on 400,000 devices daily, tripled its market share from Q1 2010, with Samsung, HTC and Motorola shipping the lion's share of these phones. In Q1 2011, there were 16.8 million Apple iPhones sold, more than double the 8.2 million sold in Q1 2010.

Overall, Gartner said the smartphone market remains healthy, accounting for 23.6 percent of the 427.8 million mobile phones sold in Q1 2011. The firm expects the fresh mid-tier smartphone market will drive smartphones into mass adoption.

For more, read the eWeek article Android Took 36% Smartphone Share in Q1: Gartner.

test