IDC: 'Android will be the No. 2 mobile OS by 2013'

In its report Worldwide Mobile OS 2009-2013 Forecast and Analysis, IDC also forecast that worldwide shipments of smartphones will exceed 390 million units per year by 2013. That would mean a compound annual growth rate of nearly 21% between 2009 and 2013 for smartphone sales.

Although IDC acknowledged that Android and Apple's iPhone OS 'garnered strong end-user and handset vendor interest', it predicted that Symbian (mainly used by Nokia) 'will retain its leadership position worldwide throughout the forecast period.'

IDC said that Nokia's strength in markets outside the US would enable the company to retain its no. 1 position in global market share.

Nonetheless it is Android which will 'experience the fastest growth of any mobile operating system,' according to IDC's report.

'Starting from a very small base of just 690,000 units in 2008, total Android-powered shipments will reach 68.0 million units by 2013, making for a CAGR of 150.4%. Android will benefit from having a growing footprint of handset vendors supporting it and will finish second to Symbian in shipments by 2013,' predicted IDC.

IDC's prognosis for Palm's webOS devices and handsets running Linux is not so rosy.

'Shipments of Linux-powered devices will trend down due to greater emphasis on the Android platform but will not disappear entirely as some vendors will continue to support it,' according to IDC. Android is based on Linux.

'Palm's webOS, despite growing steadily, will capture limited market share due to limited deployment and availability of devices across multiple carriers,' noted IDC.