from analyst firm Needham & Co., Apple's market share jumped from 17.2 percent to 29.5 percent in the first quarter of 2011. Meanwhile, Android's share fell from 52.4 percent to 49.5 percent--the first time since the second quarter of 2009 that Android lost market share.

Android's Losses Just Beginning?

In a note to his clients, Needham & Co. analyst Charlie Wolf said that was purposely delayed as to not upset Verizon iPhone buyers. He also seemed to suggest that the real surge is yet to come, and many more consumers will migrate to the Verizon iPhone once the newest model is introduced.

"In our opinion, this is just the beginning of Android's share loss in the U.S.," Wolf wrote.

That's quite a strong statement considering the meteoric growth that Google's mobile platform has experienced over much of the past two years. It also lends credence to the argument that Apple's restrictive distribution model hurt the iPhone's growth overall.