Just when you thought that Apple iOS lords over the most powerful regions in the world, Europe prefers things the Android way, especially in the United Kingdom.  UK users were probably one of the groups teased most by the short-lived opening of the Amazon Appstore for Android outside the US, but their love for Android hasn’t waned.  Their affinity for the Google-owned mobile giant was supported by the Q3 2011 UK Smartphone Insights report from Nielsen.  Over the last six months, iOS just placed third behind RIM Blackberry and Android OS in the acquisitions category, with just 18% share.  Android exhibited immense strength in the market with 44% share.

Managing Director at Nielsen European Telecoms, David Gosen affirms the trend, but sees Apple as a tough brand still:

“Consumers still seem to love the Apple iPhone over any other device brand.  Ninety percent of current Apple iPhone owners rate Apple as their favourite handset brand.  Yet, surprisingly only 65 percent of RIM Blackberry owners rate RIM as their favourite brand, with 11 percent of these RIM owners actually rating Apple as their favourite.  This speaks to the power of the Apple brand.”

While sales are up for Android, Apple’s iPhone device remains the favorite smartphone, with over 90% of surveyed users saying that they are happily satisfied and that they will continue to patronize the successful Apple device.

The UK mobile industry is aiming to boost their size and revenue as evident in the merging of the country’s three market frontier: Vodafone, Telefonica SA (TEF)’s O2 and Everything Everywhere. The triumvirate sought out the EU’s approval to seek banks and advertisers services that will allow users to utilize their smartphone for the buy-and-swipe scheme. It’s a growing trend within the mobile industry, and it’s one that a lot of industries can back.  As mobile wallets develop technology around mobility, smartphones are a major inroad for banking and credit card firms.

But if there is one thing that the UK must ponder is its ailing mobile broadband segment—its 3G is still living in the dark ages. Worries loom over wallowing 3G speed, especially now that they will be the 2012 Olympics host country.  Furthermore, a recent study revealed that Wi-Fi is the more cost-effective option for meeting mobile data demands when travelling, as opposed to charges imposed by 3G network companies in UK.

UK’s preference may have been slightly different from what the world is presently going for, but as a whole, their mobile space is also treading the direction of populating developments in fields like mobile payments, advertising and units sales, and problem-solving for broadband network dilemmas.  It’s becoming a leading market for several mobile industry trends, and it’s a market to watch for monetization methods as the industry pushes forward.