Nielsen has issued its report on smartphones in the US during Q2 2012, and even though the smartphone market in general is looking pretty healthy, phones running some version of the Android OS are by far the most popular. In all, 51.8% of smartphone users in June 2012 were using an Android-based handset, while only 34% of smartphone users had picked an iOS device. Android came out on top with 3 month recent acquirers as well, with 54.6% of new users in Q2 going for Android, as compared to 36.3% for iOS.

Apple may have the largest manufacturer share as of the end of Q2 (34% compared to Samsung’s second place ranking of 17%), but it’s pretty clear from this report that Android is winning the overall race. Android has done nothing but grow and then grow some more since its introduction, taking down competitors such as Blackberry and Windows Mobile during its ascent to the top. It hasn’t been able to take Apple out of the game, but to Google, taking the majority share of the smartphone market is probably just as sweet a victory.

As stated above, the smartphone market at large is looking pretty great too, with Nielsen saying that 2 out of 3 phone purchasers in the US are choosing to go with a smartphone over a feature phone. Android’s market share will undoubtedly keep growing as smartphones become more and more popular with the American public, so keep an ear to Android Community for more information on the green robot’s rise to the top.

[via Nielsen]