According to new research presented by NPD Group, Apple’s record setting last two quarters were not enough to help it fight off Android in the battle for top smartphone OS. Looking at the first quarter of the year, NPD Group pegged Android’s U.S. market share at 61 percent, a jump over the 49 percent recorded in last year’s fourth quarter. Android has staged a healthy lead over Apple’s iOS as the smartphone wars continue. On the flip side, iOS lost ground with a 29 percent market share, down from 41 percent during 2011′s final quarter. Collectively, Apple and Android now hold 90 percent of all smartphone sales in the U.S.