[img_assist|nid=26383|title=|desc=|link=popup|align=left|width=150|height=150]Samsung accounted for almost half of all smartphones sold in Europe over the three months to May 2013, according to figures from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. 

Across the five major European markets – Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the UK – Android holds a 70.4 per cent share of sales, up from 61.3 per cent a year ago. iOS came a distant second, with a 17.8 per cent share, and Windows Phone third, with 6.8 per cent.

While Android also holds the top spot in the US, its a much closer-run race: Android holds a 52 per cent market share, compared to iOSs 41.9 per cent.

“Across Europe, Android growth remains strong,” said Dominic Sunnebo, global consumer insight director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. “However, in the US Apple’s expanded distribution agreement with T-Mobile is helping the iPhone keep Android growth at bay. T-Mobile is the smallest of the big four US carriers but it does have the capacity to give iOS a boost, particularly as 28 per cent of its customers plan to buy an iPhone when they next upgrade.”

According to Kantar, smartphones accounted for 85 per cent of all devices sold over the period, and penetration in the UK reached 65 per cent in May – notably lower than the figure of 72 per cent released last week by Deloitte.