Google's Android smartphone operating system has reported impressive growth as competition with Apple intensifies in the months before the release of the iPhone 7.

Android's market share increased 7.1 per cent across Europe in the first three months of the year, where it now holds 75.6 per cent of the market to Apple's 18.9 per cent, which fell from 20.2 per cent.

In Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, Android grew largely at the expense of Windows Phone, whose sales fell 5 per cent, while close to 7 per cent of first time Android users were migrating from Windows, according to research from analysts Kantar Worldpanel.

In Italy and Spain, formerly the strongest and most loyal Windows Phone markets, close to 10 per cent of Windows Phone users chose to switch to Android during the three months ending March 2016, the report found.

The migration was largely driven by mid-range Chinese and Taiwanese handsets made by Huawei, Wiko and Asus, whereas in Britain, Samsung continued to dominate Android growth. The market share increase was the strongest across Europe in more than two years.