After all the hype and talk associated with the iPhone series, it’s Android that had a considerable grip on the market, commanding roughly half of the smartphone market overall. However, the latest research from Neilsen suggests that this is beginning to change with the launch of the iPhone 4S having a considerable impact on people choosing an iPhone over an Android model.

Analysing the purchases of new and current U.S. smartphone users during the last three months of 2011 (Q4), they found that 44.5 per cent of those surveyed in December purchased an iPhone in comparison to 25.1 per cent in October. Also related, 54 per cent of new iPhone owners surveyed in December opted for an iPhone 4S.

Despite that, Android still commands the majority of the smartphone market with 46.3 per cent of smarphone owners surveyed saying that they have an Android-based mobile phone. Overall, the number of people owning smartphones is growing rapidly with 46 per cent of U.S. mobile owners surveyed saying they own a smartphones. Also 60 per cent of those who got a new mobile said that they opted for a smartphone over a feature phone.

Other smartphones models have been eclipsed by both Android and iOS with RIM Blackberry owning a 14.9 per cent share of the market. Windows Mobile holds 4.6 per cent with Symbian and Palm/WebOS having 1.4 per cent each. Windows Phone 7 had slightly less with only 1.3 per cent of the market. The entire report from Neilsen, entitled ‘The Rise of Smartphones, Apps and the Mobile Market’, can be downloaded here.