Desire For Google Android Surges

According to a recent survey, demand for Google's Android mobile phone platform has been surging in recent months. Interest in RIM's Blackberry devices is up slightly, and everyone else is down, including the iPhone. Is this a short-term trend or will this keep up long enough for Android to turn in some impressive sales figures in the coming years?ChangeWave Research released the survey yesterday of just over 4,000 consumers between December 9th and 14th. Going all the way back to January 2008, Android has steadily been given more attention from buyers. When asked what platform would your next smartphone run, it has moved from one percent two years ago to six percent in September 2009. In December though, that shot up to 21%. It is still in second place to Apple though, which fell from 32% in September to 28% last month.

Windows Mobile fell from nine percent in September to six percent. That doesn't bode well given that WinMo 6.5, Microsoft's latest, shipped between the two surveys. WebOS isn't faring any better having fallen from six to three percent over the same time period.

The Verizon and Motorola marketing machine are at least partly responsible for this. It seems everywhere you look there are ads on TV, bus stops, in malls and in airports for the Motorola Droid that Verizon sells. If the consumer interest above turns into sales, it will take a noticeable bite out of Apple's share, make it harder for Windows Mobile to execute an effective turnaround and keep Palm at the bottom of the smartphone list.