Samsung led amongst Android smartphone manufactures in the third quarter with products like its flagship Samsung Galaxy S3.

Just four years since launching, the Android smartphone operating system has taken over 75 percent of the market share, say industry analysts International Data Corporation (IDC). Every three out of four smartphones shipped worldwide in the third quarter of 2012 were Android models, with Android smartphones numbering 136 million out of 181.1 million total smartphones. 

"Android has been one of the primary growth engines of the smartphone market since it was launched in 2008," said Ramon Llamas, research manager, Mobile Phones at IDC. "In every year since then, Android has effectively outpaced the market and taken market share from the competition. In addition, the combination of smartphone vendors, mobile operators and end- users who have embraced Android has driven shipment volumes higher. Even today, more vendors are introducing their first Android-powered smartphones to market."

iOS came in a distant second place to Android at 26.9 million smartphones shipped in Q3, but was the only other mobile operating system to amass double-digit market share for the quarter. 

Samsung remained the top Android smartphone manufacturer, but saw its market share decline as numerous smaller vendors increased their production. As we recently reported, Samsung shipped a record 56.9 million smartphones last quarter-- the largest number ever shipped by a smartphone vendor in a single quarter -- and held 35 percent of the global smartphone market.

Read the full press release from IDC.