In the massive tug of war between Android and iOS, first one is in the lead, the the other takes over: it's been this way for quite some time and no end seems in sight.

In the latest Kantar Worldpanel ComTech report, Android has managed to pull away from iOS in U.S. smartphone sales. The report states that Android market share rose to 49.9 percent during the three months leading up to January, a 6.4 percent gain compared to last year. Apple iOS however, fell to 45.9 percent, a 4.7 percent dip when compared to the same time last year.

While Android and iOS are still ruling the roost in the United States, Microsoft Windows Phone platform managed to garner 3.7 percent share of the market. No word on RIM's BlackBerry performance, but we're guessing it wasn't much of anything to talk about.

Android success in the U.S. could be due to how many devices were sold on Sprint. Previously, Android's market share on Sprint was at 49.3 percent, but now, that has grown significantly to 71.9 percent. Furthermore, Android customers on Sprint are paying less for their devices compared to iOS users.

"The 50/50 split we saw in the period ending October 2012 was a result of both iOS and Android sharing similar levels of average price paid (iOS at $130 and Android at $127)," said Kantar analyst Mary-Ann Parlato in a statement. "Yet this latest period saw a significant price drop, to $95 for Android, while iOS increased slightly to $146."

Before the year comes to a close, expect to see iOS back on top, as this is customary. Windows Phone and BlackBerry will continue to do battle, but only one has what it takes to completely occupy the third spot behind Android and iOS.