iPhone News Updated

Android beats iPhone 2-to-1 in new smartphone purchases

‘Android overwhelming market with devices,’ says analyst of Nielsen numbers

Apple’s iPhone lost share among U.S. consumers who bought a mobile phone in the last three months, while the share for devices running Google’s Android climbed, Nielsen said Monday.

In August, 28% of those who had purchased a smartphone in the preceding 90 days said that they picked an iPhone, down from 31% who said the same three months earlier.

Android’s share of recent smartphone buyers jumped from 49% in May to 56% in August, according to Nielsen’s data.

However, more of Android’s gains came at the expense of Research in Motion’s BlackBerry than from Apple’s iPhone: RIM’s share of recent smartphone purchases fell from 16% in May to 9% in August, a seven-point decline that was more than double that of Apple’s.

“There’s always flux in numbers like these,” said Jack Gold, a telecommunications analyst at J. Gold Associates. “You can’t expect consistency month to month.”

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Will Facebook’s iPad app launch with Apple’s iPhone 5?

Is Facebook’s long-awaited iPad app going to make its debut at Apple’s iPhone 5 unveiling event, which is expected to take place Oct. 4?

That’s the rumor, according to Ben Parr of Mashable, who says his unnamed sources have told him a Facebook iPad app will be announced at Apple’s iPhone 5 event along with a new Facebook iPhone app and maybe even an HTML5-based mobile app store.

Apple and Facebook officials weren’t available for comment on the report Monday, although Apple always declines to comment on speculation. And, so far, Apple has yet to confirm that the next-generation iPhone will be announced Oct. 4 or even be called the iPhone 5.

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