• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, April 26, 2011

Among U.S. consumers who plan to buy a smartphone, Android has edged out the iPhone as the device of choice. According to new Nielsen data, 31% prefer a smartphone running the Google mobile platform compared to 30% who want an iPhone. Another 11% expressed interest in getting a BlackBerry phone and 20% are unsure what to choose next.

The finding was based on surveys conducted from January to March. The same surveys from July to September last year showed a third of in-market smartphone buyers wanted an iPhone, 26% and Android phone and 13% a BlackBerry. The shift in Android's favor is evident in sales.

Half of those surveyed in March who had purchased a smartphone in the past six months said they had chosen an Android device. A quarter of recent smartphone buyers chose an iPhone and 15% picked a Blackberry. And continued strong sales have helped Android become the most pervasive mobile operating system. As of last month, it accounted for 37% of U.S. smartphones, followed by Apple's iOS, BlackBerry, 22%, Windows Mobile/Mobile Phone 7, 10%, WebOS, 3% and Symbian, 2%, according to Nielsen.