There are really only two big players now in the smartphone market – Apple and Google with the iOS and Android operating systems.

Analytics firm IDC released information last night which shows that the mobile operating systems from Google and Apple are claiming a whopping 91.1 percent of the global smartphone market during the fourth quarter.

Android smartphone makers and Apple shipped 207.6 million units around the world, up 70.2 percent from the 122 million shipped during the same period a year previously.

In 2012 Android and iOS made up 87.6 percent of the 722.4 million smartphones shipped, up 68.1 percent from 2011.

Ramon Llamas, research manager with the IDC mobile team said in a statement “The dominance of Android and Apple reached a new watermark in the fourth quarter. Android boasted a broad selection of smartphones, and an equally deep list of smartphone vendor partners. Finding an Android smartphone for nearly any budget, taste, size, and price was all but guaranteed during 2012. As a result, Android was rewarded with market-beating growth.”

Samsung claim the top spot among Android phone makers, with 42 percent of the market. Other rivals can only take a single digit share.

The Apple Maps horror story didn't stop sales. Llamas added “Even with the Apple Maps debacle, iPhone owners were not deterred from purchasing new iPhones.” Sales picked up in the fourth quarter.

IDC said they believe that Windows Phone 8 and Blackberry 10 will help Microsoft and Blackberry gain some market share in the coming years. Ryan Reith, program manager at IDC mobile device trackers said “There is no question the road ahead is uphill for both Microsoft and BlackBerry, but history shows us consumers are open to change.”

76 percent of the 6 million Windows phones shipped in the fourth quarter were from Nokia, showing their growth in the market.

Kitguru says: Nokia seem to be making a comeback, which is good news.

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