Make way for the Android generation, as Nielsen revealed in its latest research that the United States embraces Android OS more than anything else available in the market today. The youngsters seemed to love Android, as they placed this open source stack atop all others- others being iOS, RIM, Palmweb, Symbian and Windows. Android seems to be doing really well selling to young consumers, evident with a 50% share of people from 18-34 years old.

But this is not the whole story, because when we touch the aspect of manufacturing share, RIM and Apple battle for top spot.  They are only two players that create and embed their respective operating system onto their very own smartphones. “But an analysis by manufacturer shows RIM and Apple to be the winners compared to other device makers since they are the only ones creating and selling smartphones with their respective operating systems.”

For obvious reasons, HTC has been riding Android’s wave of success, quite cozy and happy with this news; HTC is now the third largest smartphone manufacturer in the world (after Apple and RIM). This is also the rave party that Motorola is enjoying, as it has hitched the wagon of Android forever.

The topic of Android OS vs iOS vs RIM has long been prevailing. This has also triggered various developments from the three warring camps, especially the fact that smartphones have brought tremendous influence to mobile gaming. The launch of the iPad 2, boasting the updated iOS 4.3, threatens Android’s 3.0, with Stephen Jobs predicting the latter would come crashing through. Meanwhile, BlackBerry is finding its hope to penetrate Android and iPhone via an instant messaging service.  Android, being an influential industry leader, is also keen on keeping the top spot. Doing so will require a dedicated resource to maintaining security on mobile devices and its mobile platform, and Google’s already had to crack down on the Android Market, removing several malware-infected apps.

The game is on, and there’s still room for a winner. But one thing is crystal clear: consumers will emerge as true winners, as the competition will make way for cheaper devices and software, spurring efficiency and upgrades.