Android Lost Ground In November

There are multiple ways to measure the success of a platform. Sales is certainly one way, but usage can be just as important. Google Android still dominates ad impressions, but it fell over 10% in November, dropping from 56% to 50%. Apple and RIM were the biggest benefactors of Android's fall.

Millennial Media's November report shows that while Android dropped, iOS grew from 28% to 30%. Apple was no doubt helped by the launch of the iPhone 4S in October. Research In Motion saw the biggest growth, jumping from 13% to 17%. RIM launched the BlackBerry 7 platform several months ago and has been rolling out devices like the Curve, Bold, and Torch. The improved browser in the platform, which includes HTML5 video support, has apparently encouraged its users to spend more time surfing.

When it comes to specific phones, the iPhone still reigns supreme. The iPhone represented 13.54% of total impressions. Keep in mind, though, that this figure really includes at least three phones, the 3GS, 4, and 4S, all of which are still being sold. With the exception of a few features on new devices, they all run the same platform, iOS 5.

The BlackBerry Curve came in second with 5.87% of the market. RIM captured five spots in the top 20. Android held the other 14. WebOS, Windows Phone, Symbian, and Bada didn't place at all.

Among connected device manufacturers, Apple was again in the top spot, garnering 25.66% of impressions. This includes the iPad and iPod Touch. Samsung was the number two manufacturer, which would combine all of the tablets and smartphones from the Galaxy line.

Missing from the list of manufacturers is Amazon. The Kindle Fire is one of the hottest devices this holiday season, but it didn't have an appreciable number of users in November browsing the Web. It may be too early to judge, though as the Fire wasn't released until mid-November. The report does say that impressions for the tablet are growing faster than the iPad's were when it launched in early 2010. Expect Amazon to make an appearance on the December report.

Do you think the Fire, which runs a heavily modified version of Android, will stem Android's losses or will Apple and RIM continue to show gains?