Google activating 300,000 Android devices a day

Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) is now activating 300,000 new Android mobile operating system-powered devices each day, up from 200,000 in August 2010. Google vice president of engineering Andy Rubin confirmed the milestone via Twitter. The announcement follows just days after Google officially introduced the Android 2.3 mobile operating system update, which arrives via the new Nexus S smartphone, developed in collaboration with Samsung. According to Google, Android 2.3 is the fastest Android iteration to date, boasting a series of user interface refinements, a new keyboard and text selection tool and improved copy/paste functionality.

Android now powers 25.5 percent of all smartphones worldwide according to data  released last month by research firm Gartner. Unit sales of Android devices exceeded 20 million in the third quarter of 2010--just one year ago, Android accounted for just 3.5 percent of the worldwide smartphone market, with unit sales of only 1.4 million. Gartner estimates that Android phones made up between 75 percent and 80 percent of all Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) smartphone sales in Q3--in addition to higher-end devices, manufacturers are also producing Android handsets targeting a host of different consumer segments, with ZTE introducing a sub-£100/$160 Android phone for Orange UK's prepaid customers.

Android represents 23.5 percent of the U.S. smartphone market as of October 2010, drawing close to rival Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iOS at 24.6 percent, according to data issued this week by research firm comScore. Android made up 17 percent of U.S. smartphones in July 2010, while iOS accounted for 23.8 percent. Research In Motion's (NASDAQ:RIMM) BlackBerry remains atop the U.S. smartphone market, but its share lead plunged from 39.3 percent in July to 35.8 percent in October.

For more:
- read Rubin's Twitter post

Related articles:
comScore: Android now powers 23.5 percent of U.S. smartphone market
Gartner: Android now powers 25 percent of all smartphones 
Android powers 44 percent of U.S. smartphone sales in Q3
Android web browsing surges 400 percent in Q2
Google's Schmidt: Android device sales reach 200,000 each day