Google's Android smartphone platform could pass Apple's iOS in total smartphone subscribers in November results that could be released shortly before the Consumer Electronics Show in January, if current trends hold up.

Google's Android smartphone platform could pass Apple's iOS in total smartphone subscribers in November results that could be released shortly before the Consumer Electronics Show in January, if current trends hold up.

Google's Android OS recorded a 23.5 percent U.S. market share for the three-month average ending in October, according to comScore results released Friday. Apple's iOS remained in second place, with 24.6 percent of the U.S. market, with RIM on top at 35.8 percent and falling.

ComScore measures that total number of people in the U.S. who own each smartphone platform, totaling 60.7 million peopleup 14 percent from the previous three months, the firm said.

The trends, however, favor Google's Android, at the expense of Apple and especially RIM. RIM lost 3.5 points of market share since July, with Apple growing 0.8 percent and Google increasing 6.5 percent.

Since July, Android's share has grown steadily. In July, comScore found that Google's Android had 17.0 percent share of the market, versus 23.8 percent for Apple. In August, comScore reported that Android controlled 19.6 percent of the market, versus 24.2 percent of the market for Apple. By September, Android had increased its share to 21.4 percent, versus 24.3 percent for Apple. Android's numbers climbed to 23.5 percent in October.

If the average gain of about two percentage points per month for Android continues, Android would pass Apple's iOS market share for the three-month average cited in November, which would most likely be reported in the first week of January. The Consumer Electronics Show, begins on Jan. 6.

NPD said in May that , and found similar results in November. But the Apple iPhone was the most popular smartphone by sales.

Microsoft recorded 9.7 percent of the U.S. smartphone share, according to comScore, down 2.1 points from July. Palm recorded 3.9 percent share, down 1 point since July.

Samsung remained the top OEM, with a gain of 1.1 percentage points since July to 24.2 percent. LG and Motorola finished second and third, with a market share of 21.0 percent and 17.7 percent, respectively. RIM and Nokia finished fourth and fifth, with 9.3 percent and 7.1 percent, respectively. Motorola suffered the worst loss in share since July as reported by comScore, with a drop of 2.1 points.