The Score: Android Beats Up IOS

The race between Android devices and the iPhone is a marathon that may never have a clear winner, but the results of Verizon's latest financial quarter shed some light on which side holds the upper hand.
The Score is a weekly column scoring controversial events in the mobile industry. Want to get to the point? We'll break it down and give you the score.

The Setup: Verizon Wireless is the largest phone carrier in the U.S, making the fight for supremacy between Android and iOS fierce, as well as a good indicator of where the two sides stand overall. The company had a big quarter, thanks to the success of both iOS and Android, but which of the two platforms helped the nation's number-one carrier more?
The numbers may say one thing on the surface, but a deeper analysis says another. Let's take a look at how Google and Apple fare against each other in the smartphone market.
- Verizon sold 2.9 million Android devices in the second quarter, compared to 2.7 million iPhones. Sure, there are some "yeah, buts" that Apple can run off and we'll get to those, but the numbers don't lie. More people walked out of Verizon with Android-powered phones than iPhones over the past few months. Android: +1,500 points
- In the past, Apple could argue carriers sold more Android devices than iPhones because Google's platform's numbers were inflated by its ability to offer low-cost handsets as well as high-end models. However, more than 80 percent of the Android devices sold featured LTE, which means they retailed at prices very similar to the iPhone 4 and 4S and beat them out head-to-head. There goes that excuse, Apple. Android: +500 points
- The number of Android devices Verizon offers throughout most of the country is in the double digits, while there are only two models of the iPhone. This means that the iPhone easily outsold every single Android device when matched up head-to-head. Android may have the bigger numbers at Verizon, but it can't be denied that Apple is doing a lot with a little. Apple: +1,000 points

Final Score: Android: +1,000 points ahead of Apple
It's a really good time for Google's Android platform. Not only does it outperform iOS at the number-one carrier in the U.S, but it's had a streak of incredibly impressive numbers in several countries all over the world. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich handsets like the Samsung Galaxy S3 and HTC One X have emerged as the most impressive devices on the market, and the platform is barreling ahead with strong momentum through the summer.
However, no horse stays too far ahead in this race for long. Google is capitalizing on Apple's dry period, just as it did last year at this time. The iPhone 4S has been on the market for nine months, an eternity in the world of technology, and a next-generation device is still a few months away from hitting store shelves. Android may pull even further away from Apple in total sales in the third quarter, but look for that trend to begin to reverse by the end of the year.
The iPhone will see an incredible surge in sales when Apple launches its sixth generation of the handset in October, once again leveling the playing field between Android and iOS. Google is enjoying some of its most sustained success against the iPhone yet, but the next move Apple makes in this high-powered chess match could change the outlook of the game all over again.