BlackBerry loses major ground

In North America, iOS' share of mobile ad impressions grew a full 12.1 points between October and January, according to mobile advertiser InMobi. Traffic from iOS devices hit 35.3 percent in January, as compared to 32.7 percent for Android, and 11.6 percent for BlackBerry. Android in fact slipped 3.2 points between October and January, allowing iOS to seize leadership.

"The iOS growth we are seeing may be attributed to the tremendous success of iPhone 4S and iPad in the ecosystem," writes Anne Frisbie, InMobi's VP and managing director for North America. The iPhone 4S launched in mid-October, apparently reversing the trend through most of 2011, in which Android was InMobi's leading North American platform. The single-most popular device was the iPhone 4, with 9 percent of impressions, followed by the iPad 1 at 6.3 percent, and the fourth-generation iPod touch at 6.1.

January's BlackBerry share was a substantial decline, down 8.9 points from 20.5 percent in October. Research in Motion has been struggling to stay relevant in a post-iPhone/Android market; iOS' recent gains with InMobi were made mostly at the expense of BlackBerry devices.

By Electronista Staff