IDC has recently published a new forecast that expects smartphone shipments to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 20.9% until 2013, reaching 390 million units worldwide.
The report also says that Symbian will remain as the leading smartphone operating system throughout the forecast period, with the number of Android devices growing by a CAGR of 150.4% to reach 68 million units by 2013 – putting it in second place behind Symbian.
Shipments of Linux-powered devices will 'trend down' while Palm's webOS will capture limited market share.
Stephen D. Drake, IDC vice president of Mobility and Telecom, said "Mobile operating systems have become the key ingredient in the highly competitive mobile device market. Although the overall look and feel of the device will still play an important role in the buying process, the wrong choice of operating system coupled with an awkward user interface can mean the difference between success and failure".