Android phones have a narrow lead over the iPhone to become the favourite smartphone in the UK, according to new research.
An online survey has found that about 28% of smartphone owners in the UK went for an Android handset, compared with 26% who chose an Apple iPhone and 14% who picked a BlackBerry.
The study, which covered 2,000 people, said that over four million Britons over 18 years old own an Android.
It says that Google’s platform is popular with both young and older people, with about 36% of those aged 25-34 smartphone owners and 25% of retired people using an Android phone.
However the study found that Apple customers spent most time with their phones, with 18% using their phones for over four hours a day, compared with just 4% of Android and BlackBerry users.
iPhone users also said that used their phones mostly for social networking and gaming, with 63% ranking social networking and 48% gaming in their top three apps. iPhone users were also big spenders with about 18% permanently overdrawn, compared with 14% for Android and just 13% for BlackBerry.
The YouGov poll found that 10% of BlackBerry owners earned more than £50,000 a year, while 7% of Android phone users and 5% of iPhone users were in the salary bracket.
