Ovum expects Symbian OS market share will drop to 43% by 2014 due to rapid adoption of new platforms such as Android, although it will maintain its market leadership.

"From a standing start in 2008, adoption of Android will be rapid and we expect Android shipments to reach 72 million units by 2014, representing 18% of the market and overtaking shipments of Windows Mobile," Leach said. "Android shipments will be driven by adoption by all tier-one OEMs (except Nokia) and an active developer community."

Ovum defines a smartphone based on its software platform and considers the following to be smartphone platforms: the Symbian OS, Windows Mobile, Android, OS X, BlackBerry OS, Palm OS, Web OS and LiMo.