Twice as many consumers in the U.S. purchased Android smartphones compared to Apple’s iPhone over the past three months, according to new data just released by The Nielsen Company. The market research firm found that of those consumers who purchased a new smartphone during the three-month period ending in August, 58% purchased an Android device while 28% purchased either the iPhone 4 or the iPhone 3GS. Only 9% purchased a new BlackBerry smartphone, though the time period covered by Nielsen’s survey ended prior to the release of RIM’s new BlackBerry 7 handsets. Read on for more.

In terms of smartphone platform market share as of the month of August, Nielsen shows that 43% of smartphone owners had an Android device, 28% had an iOS smartphone and 18% owned a BlackBerry. Looking forward to the fourth quarter, however, Nielsen sees a big swing coming for iOS as Apple readies its next-generation iPhone 5. “Every time Apple launches a new iPhone or makes it available on a new wireless carrier, there is an increase in their sales,” Don Kellogg, Director of Telecom Research & Insights at Nielsen, wrote on the Nielsen’s blog. Smartphone owners made up 43% of the U.S. cell phone market in August according to Nielsen. A second chart from Nielsen’s report follows below.

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