Apple CEO Tim Cook introduces the iPhone 5 - a lighter, thinner and more powerful version of its iconic mobile device, staking its claim to leadership in the red-hot smartphone market. AP Photo
Apple's US share of smartphone sales in the 12 weeks to October 31 more than doubled from a year ago to 48.1%,
putting it within reach of the record 49.3% it managed in early 2012.
Android's share dropped to 46.7% from 63.3%, Kantar WorldPanel's data showed, but it continues to dominate in key European markets. The platform claimed 74% market share in Germany and 82% in Spain.
Android's combined share of the top five European markets rose to 64%, from 51% a in 2011, while Apple's share edged up by one percentage point to 21%.
Research In Motion Ltd saw its share fall in all but one of the surveyed markets, sliding to 1.6% from 8.5% in the United States, and to 2.7% from 8.7% in Brazil. In Germany, the BlackBerry maker's share rose 0.9 percentage points to 2.5%.
RIM's stock fell 5.9% to C$11.20 on the Toronto Stock Exchange. But the shares, which soared last week on rising optimism around RIM's soon-to-be-launched BlackBerry 10 devices, were still up more than 15% from last Monday's close.