Which Carriers Lead the Android Market Share? Hint: Not AT&T

If you've read any Android-related headlines over the past few months, you will undoubtedly have seen that Android is quickly becoming a dominant powerhouse in the smartphone market space.  It seems that customers like the idea of choice and freedom when it comes to their phones.  A novel concept to be sure.

But which carriers are leading the Android Army?  It will probably come as no surprise that Verizon is the definite market leader.  What is a little surprising is by how much.  For that detail, along with where the other carriers stand, head on past the break for a nice graphic from advertising network Chitika.

I will admit that I'm a little amazed that Verizon, according to this study, owns a whopping 51.4% of the Android market.  Even given their position as the largest cellular carrier in the U.S., that's still an enormous number.  Sprint and T-Mobile round out the top three.

AT&T on the other hand should be down right embarrassed over their number.  We all know the big draw to AT&T in the past has been their previously exclusive rights to the iPhone.  Based on these numbers, it's pretty obvious AT&T was hanging their hat purely on that agreement to carrier their smartphone sales.  Now that Verizon has the iPhone as well, however, AT&T is stuck in a position of playing catch up.  Now we begin to see yet another reason they are so interested in buying out T-Mobile USA.  By doing so, they would garner a five fold increase in Android customers, assuming a sizeable number of those customers don't jump ship prior to the completion of the deal.

Source: Android Police