We have had analyst predictions already predicting that Android would overtake the apple iPhone in smartphone sales by 2012. The. Calculations aren’t any rocket science. Google has a whole battalion of manufacturers making stuff on the android platform and its no brainer that the only smartphone OS capable of matching up with the iPhone platform is Android (not counting webOS as its exclusive to Palm). At some point, android with the sheer force of multiple manufacturers across the globe would certainly overtake the iPhone. The only question is when would that happen?
Given the fact that Android is now on its way to maturity the lead that iPhone had a a OS is trimmed. By year end one can expect Android to satisfy fans much better (with Froyo and Gingerbread). And IMO as soon as next yea we would start seeing Android delivering bigger hits globally. Together with a refined OS, open source nature and multiple hardware partners – Google’s Android need not wait till 2012 to dominate the smartphone market.
One twist that can upset the calculations is the Apple – HTC lawsuit. It is believed that apple has successfully disrupted product road-maps of several smartphone makers with lawsuit threats. But that ideally wouldn’t effect the growing global market (non US). As for the patent battles, the long courtroom battles isn’t an immediate decider.
The funny thing with predictions is that it generally doesn’t factor out many events like this patent dispute or even the Nexus series by Google. You never know what upsets the calculations. My bet is on 2011!!