More than two-thirds of all smartphones shipped worldwide during the second quarter run Google's Android mobile operating system, according to new data from independent analyst firm Canalys.

Shipments of Android smartphones surpassed the 100 million quarterly mark for the first time in the three-month period ending June 30, translating to global market share of 68.1 percent. Android device shipments more than doubled year-over-year, increasing to 107.8 million from 51.2 million in the second quarter of 2011, when the platform controlled 47.6 percent of the international market. Canalys cites China as a major catalyst behind Android's growth spurt, noting the OS now powers 81 percent of smartphones shipped nationwide.

Source: Canalys estimates, Canalys 2012

"Growth in Android volumes of 110 percent far outpaced growth in the overall market of 47 percent year-on-year, heavily driven by Samsung, which saw Android volumes of over 45 million, contributed to by a full and broad portfolio of products, from its high-end flagship Galaxy S III down to its aggressively priced Galaxy Y and Galaxy Mini," said Canalys Principal Analyst Pete Cunningham. "Its sponsorship of the London Olympics and subsequent product placements are sure to attract new customers to ensure that Q3 delivers a strong performance."

Apple's iOS trails far behind Android with second quarter iPhone shipments of 26 million, corresponding with a worldwide market share of 16.4 percent. iPhone shipments increased from 20.3 million in the second quarter of 2011, but Apple's market share slipped from 18.9 percent.

Research In Motion's fast-fading BlackBerry is next with second quarter smartphone shipments of 8.5 million, down from 12.5 million a year ago--BlackBerry now represents just 5.4 percent of the global market, compared to 11.6 percent in the second quarter of 2011. Symbian also continues to slide, with shipments plummeting from 18.1 million to 6.4 million while market share dropped from 16.8 percent to 4.1 percent.

Microsoft's Windows Phone experienced significant growth during the second quarter, with smartphone shipments increasing to 5.1 million from 1.3 million 12 months earlier. The platform nevertheless remains far off the pace set by Android and iOS with market share of just 3.2 percent, up from 1.2 percent a year ago.