It’s no secret that Android usage is on the rise, but Guardian points to research from GfK Retail and Technology indicating that in the UK, Android’s share of the mobile market has grown from 3% in the first quarter to 13.2% in the second.

On top of that, contract market sales grew by less than 1%, while sales of Android phones increased by 350%, the firm says.

"The figures suggest an increasing number of consumers are now asking for Android handsets by name," says GfK analyst Megan Baldock. "Operating Systems are no longer simply a by-product but a key selling point in their own right."

Smartphones, or phones with "advanced operating systems" as GfK puts it, grew to 66.7% of contracts compared to 55% in the first quarter. "Growth has been continuous since 2010 began and is expected to rise consistently throughout the rest of the year; GfK’s latest monthly data shows that in June, phones with advanced OS represented 73.5% of the contract market," the firm adds.

The whole iPhone antenna debacle can’t be too bad for Android. Samsung has even been giving away free Android phones to disgruntled iPhone users (in the UK, as a matter of fact). Watch for tablets, Google TV and Google’s App Inventor to add to Android’s momentum as well.