Analytics firm Canalys certainly has previous when it comes to predicting big things for Android.

Back in August, the company claimed Google's OS was on track to becoming the major smartphone force in the US – something that, if the latest stats are to be believed, is fast becoming a reality.

Now Canalys has responded to news that iPhone 4 is to hit Verizon in February by claiming it's unlikely to impact on Android's acceleration all too much in 2011.

In fact, Android will grow at more than twice the rate of its major competitors over the course of the year.

Canalys analysis

The firm's figures claim Android already has a 25 percent share of the worldwide smartphone market, with shipments in the first three quarters of 2010 up more than 1,000 percent year on year.

"The growth of Android has been phenomenal, but so too has the number of related devices launched with different hardware and software specifications," said Canalys principal analyst Chris Jones.

"This has led to the market perception of it as a fragmented platform, though we believe that growth will continue as the pace of Android OS upgrades slows."

Fragmentation fears

Fragmentation will continue to be an issue, Jones claimed, but it is in fact a consequence of the platform's success – Android is a platform that simply refuses to sit still.

"Fragmentation affects all OS platforms, though it is particularly visible with Android due to the fast pace of upgrades that has characterised its growth," added Jones.

Nonetheless, the desire for OEMs to differentiate from their rivals and offer more impressive handsets will, in turn, drive sales in 2010.

[source: Canalys]