Android and iOS dominated the global smartphone OS market in the fourth quarter of 2012 with a 91.1 per cent market share, according to IDC. For 2012 as a whole, the two platforms accounted for 87.6 per cent of shipments.

According to IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, Android and iOS powered smartphones shipped a total of 207.6 million units in the fourth quarter, up 70.2 per cent on the 122 million units shipped in the same quarter in 2011.

The combined total for 2012 was 722.4 million devices shipped, a 68.1 per cent increase on the 494.5 million shipped in 2011.

Android dominated having secured a 70.1 per cent market share in Q4 2012 with 159.8 million shipments, up 88 per cent year-on-year.

“Finding an Android smartphone for nearly any budget, taste, size, and price was all but guaranteed during 2012. As a result, Android was rewarded with market-beating growth,” said research manager with IDC’s Mobile Phone team Ramon Llamas.

iOS secured a 21 per cent market share in the fourth quarter of 2012 as device shipments hit 47.8 million, up 29.2 per cent year-on-year, and.

Llamas said demand for Apple’s iPhone 5 and the lowered prices of the iPhone 4 and 4S drove iOS shipments during the period. He noted that the problems with Apple Maps had not deterred users from purchasing iPhones.

IDC said Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 and BlackBerry 10 are “poised for competition” and expects new entrants to make up ground in the next few years.

“There is no question the road ahead is uphill for both Microsoft and BlackBerry, but history shows us consumers are open to change. Platform diversity is something not only the consumers have asked for, but also the operators,” said program manager for IDC’s Mobile Device Trackers. Ryan Reith.

BlackBerry’s market share fell from 8.1 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2011 to 3.2 per cent in 2012 as the decision to postpone the release of BlackBerry 10 until the beginning of 2013 left it reliant on the older BlackBerry 7 OS.

In contrast, Windows Phone increased its market share from 1.5 per cent to 2.6 per cent. Nokia amassed 76 per cent of Windows Phone sales in the fourth quarter.

IDC noted that Linux-based smartphones could be more of a factor in 2013 with the launch of devices from SailFish, Tizen and Ubuntu. However, the analyst firm warned that these platforms will need time and investment to gain momentum in the market.