Report: Mobility centers on smartphone platforms

Only a few years ago, the smartphone market was still in its infancy and revolved mostly around Research In Motion's BlackBerry OS. Then, in 2007, Apple's iOS-based iPhone arrived and changed the game, according to a new report from Signals Research.

Today, it seems that smartphones revolve around the platform. Google's Android has since taken over the top spot, while iOS enjoys continued success. Both are hurting BlackBerry's market share, but RIM's platform remains a favorite for enterprise mobility.

"Fast forward three years and it is clearly evident that ecosystems have been built around several mobile OS platforms, although who could have foretold the demise and/or phenomenal success of its participants?" Signals' latest report asked.

The report also identified various trends that are affecting the smartphone market, including the enterprise space, social media and messaging, cloud services and mobile payments, among others.

The latest market analysis from research firm Nielsen revealed that Android continues to control the smartphone platform market with 39 percent share. Apple's iOS is second with 28 percent. Because the iPhone is the only smartphone running on iOS, Nielsen also dubbed Apple the top handset manufacturer in the market.