Some interesting research coming from down-under shows that Android smartphones are indeed the choice of many down-under and for developers, well, there’s really just 2 platforms to develop for.  Sales of smartphones running on Google’s Android OS now outstrip those of every other smartphone type combined, including the iPhone and BlackBerry ranges and sales show that over half of the devices being bought (in Australia) now run Android OS.

The numbers… While Apple have maintained their market share for iOS at around 35%, other operating systems such as Nokia’s Symbian and RIM’s BlackBerry OS have taken a severe beating at the hands of the increasingly-ubiquitous Android OS. In the first quarter of 2011, 23.6% of smartphones sold in Australia ran on Symbian. A year later, this figure dropped to just 5.6%. RIM saw its share of the market drop from 2.8% to 1% over the same period. Meanwhile, Android has seen its market share swell to 52% of all smartphone sales in Australia.

App developers now only have two major formats to develop for, which means lower development costs, and a larger market to sell to. (Source)