• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, August 7, 2013

Android tightened its grip on the worldwide smartphone market in the second quarter, with nearly eight in 10 devices shipped in the period running the Google operating system. Android’s 79.3% share was up from 69.1% in the year earlier period, while Apple’s iOS shrank from 16.6% to 13.2%, according to the latest data from IDC.

The research firm cited Apple’s lack of a new iPhone launch this spring as a key reason behind its declining market share. Windows Phone, meanwhile, increased its share in the quarter to 3.7% from 3.1%, and BlackBerry continued to lose ground, falling to 2.9% from 4.9% a year ago.

Samsung was by far the largest Android manufacturer in the quarter, with 39% share, trailed by LG (6.5%) and Lenovo (6.1%). While still dominating, Samsung’s share of Android shipments was down from 44.4% a year ago, with LG and Lenovo both picking up share.