A major contributor to the fast-changing nature of smartphones in India is the explosion of Google’s Android onto the scene. The tremendous growth of Android since entering India last year has it taking the leadership position in terms of shipments last quarter. A Nielsen Informate panel found smartphone users in India spending more than 40 percent of total active time on their smartphones on data-centric activities. A full 25 percent of users’ time with apps is spent on those developed by Google, with the Android Market, YouTube and Gmail leading …

According to the latest research from Nielsen, the high-profile launch of Apple’s iPhone 4S in the Fall had an enormous impact on the proportion of smartphone owners who chose an Apple iPhone.

Advertisers and those aiming to reach smartphone and tablet users on their devices should look no further than free apps. According to Nielsen’s Consumer Usage Report, 51 percent of consumers say that they are okay with advertising on their devices if it means they can access content for free.

A new report provides a snapshot of the current mobile media landscape and audiences in the U.S., and highlights the potential power of mobile commerce in the near future.

Teens have officially joined the data tsunami, more than tripling their mobile data consumption in the past year while maintaining their stronghold as leading message senders.

Facebook and apps from Google like Gmail and the Android Market are the most popular smartphone apps among Android owners according to Nielsen’s latest research on smartphone usage.

NM Incite found that the iPhone has been the most frequently mentioned smartphone OS in terms of online buzz on blogs, message boards/groups, Twitter and Facebook, and online news posts, capturing 40 percent of online buzz about smartphones from July through December 2011.

In the U.S., 71% of those with smartphones own either an Android device or an iPhone. But when it comes to smartphone apps, iPhones and Android smartphones are even more dominant: 83 percent of app downloaders, that is, those who downloaded an app in the past 30 days, use iPhone or Android smartphones.

Nielsen’s third quarter survey of mobile users reveals that while only 43 percent of all US mobile phone subscribers own a smartphone, 62 percent of mobile adults aged 25-34 report owning smartphones. And among those 18-24 and 35-44 years old the smartphone penetration rate is hovering near 54 percent.

Africa is in the midst of a technological revolution, and nothing illustrates that fact than the proliferation of mobile phones.