Google"s Android mobile has emerged as the second largest smartphone OS after Nokia"s Symbian and surged past Apple"s iPhone and Canada"s Blackberry in the Q3 this year.

According to Gartner research company estimates, Google Android at 25.5-percent of the market in Q3, is 2nd largest after symbian 36.6-percent and ahead of Apple's 16.7 percent.

Gartner said Finland"s Nokia sold 29.5 million smartphones during the third quarter of the year for a 36.6 per cent share of the worldwide market, down from 44.6 per cent a year ago.

Sales of Google Android-powered smartphones soared to 2nd largest (upto 20.5 million units), giving the Google Android platform a 25.5 per cent market share, up from just 3.5 per cent a year ago, Gartner said.

Apple"s iPhone was next on sales of 13.5 million units for a 16.7 per cent market share, down from 17.1 per cent a year ago. Canada"s Research In Motion, maker of the Blackberry, was in fourth position with sales of 11.9 million units. Its marketshare dropped to 14.8 per cent from 20.7 per cent a year ago. Microsoft"s Windows Mobile saw sales of 2.2 million units giving it a 2.8 per cent market share, down from 7.9 per cent a year ago, Gartner said.

Nokia remained the world"s top handset manufacturer with sales of 117.5 million units in the third quarter but saw its worldwide marketshare slip to 28.2 per cent from 36.7 percent a year ago.

South Korea"s Samsung was next on sales of 71.7 million units but its marketshare also fell — to 17.2 per cent from 19.6 per cent a year ago. Gartner on smartphones said that Samsung was the top Android seller in the quarter with sales of 6.6 million Google Android phones.

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