Verizon's Android share down dramatically following iPhone 4 launch

A breakdown of US Android providers published by Chitika Insights at the end of March showed Verizon to be the largest Android carrier, largely due to that carrier's migration from RIM Blackberry to Droid branded Android smartphones throughout 2010.

A new study by Chitika, looking a the same market just five months later, shows a huge decrease in Verizon's slice of the US Android pie after it launched iPhone 4.

Despite a new wave of promotion of Android devices, AT&T's share of Android users is up just 5 percentage points. Figures by T-Mobile and Sprint indicate both have maintained a static ratio of the nation's Android users as Verizon moved millions of its subscribers to the iPhone.

The largest growth comes from other carriers, including MetroPCS, Virgin andUS Cellular, who amounted to less than 3 percent of the US Android market in March, but now collectively claim 8.5 percent, nearly as large of a share as AT&T.

Chitika estimates that Verizon carries about 23.9 percent of American iPhones, leaving AT&T with 76.1 percent.

The company noted, "Verizon’s share of iPhone traffic continues to increase, but it seems that Verizon is gaining market share in Apple’s prominent smartphone at the expense of its other, Android-running devices."