The rich are getting richer in the mobile handset and mobile platform market. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) now claims 9.5% of the handset market with its iPhone, and Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) holds 41.8% of the operating system (platform) market. Apple’s share in June was 8.9% of handsets and Google’s platform share was 40.1%.

Research firm comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) conducts the survey and reports the scores on rolling three-month averages.  On that basis, Apple gained 1.2% in the handset market in the April-July period, and Google gained 5.4% in the platform market. The largest handset share belongs to Samsung (OTC: SSNLF), with 25.5% (up 1%), followed by LG Electronics with 20.9% (flat), Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MMI) with 14.1% (a drop of -1.5%), Apple, and Research in Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) with 7.6% (a drop of -0.6%). The data reflects both smartphone and feature phone subscribers.

In the platform market, Google leads followed by Apple with 27% (up 1%), RIM with 21.7% (down -4%), Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) with 5.7% (down -1%), and Symbian from Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK) with 1.9% (down -0.4%). This data reflects only smartphone platforms.

There’s really nothing new here. The iPhone continues to sell well and is gaining share most likely due to the boost from Verizon Wireless sales. Google’s Android operating system continues to widen its lead in smartphone platforms, and RIM, Microsoft, and Nokia continue to lose to Google.

The patent wars currently being fought in the smartphone market could roil things for a while, but peace will eventually come and even the lovefest between Microsoft and Nokia is unlikely to change these numbers much.

From a revenue standpoint, Apple is the clear winner again. The company already leads handily in margins and every new iPhone just adds to that lead. Google realizes no direct revenue from Android, but consistently touts the growth in mobile advertising revenue as a net addition to its top line. That’s very likely the case, but Apple’s half-hearted pursuit of the mobile ad market could lead one to wonder if there’s that much money there after all.

Paul Ausick

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