The battle for smartphone supremacy can be seen as a handicap match of sorts. Apple’s iOS platform has only one representative, the iPhone, while on the other hand, there are several Android phones making up the market share of Google’s operating system.

According to a survey from Nielsen, the iPhone 4S, again the lone bearer of the iOS flag, is becoming the smartphone of choice for more and more consumers.
The figures revealed by Nielsen last Wednesday were culled from 2011 numbers, and it was evident in these numbers that the iPhone kept gaining ground steadily as months went on. This was especially true in the two months following the iPhone 4S’ October 2011 release. That said, close to 50 percent of all respondents still favored Android phones based on the survey results.
As speculation turns to iPhone 5 comes news that Research In Motion (RIM) is dead. Sure, this might sound harsh but the company’s move to replace its leadership seems unlikely to bring it back from the brink. Apple [AAPL] has unleashed forces RIM has been unable to match.

[ABOVE: Focusing on end users is key to smartphone popularity.]