The second fastest-growing smart phone operating system will be Apple's , which will have a healthy 79-percent growth rate, the report predicts.

"Android has fast been winning healthy support among operators, vendors and developers," said Strategic Analytics senior analyst Tom Kang in a statement. "Android is now in a good position to become a top-tier player in smart phones over the next two to three years," he said.

The first Android-equipped phone, the , has been a big hit. in the first six months after the phone's October 2008 debut.

The secret to Android's success? "A relatively low-cost licensing model, its semi-open-source structure and ," have combined to make the mobile OS appealing to major handset makers and wireless providers, including HTC, Motorola, Samsung, T Mobile, and Vodafone, Kang says.

In addition to the G1, other Android devices are starting to appear. In late April , the I7500, which will be available in Europe next month. plans to launch an Android phone later this year, and is reportedly working on other Android-equipped devices as well.