T-Mobile's G1 smartphone may not have been the iPhone killer some were expecting, but there's no doubt Google's open-source Android platform is here to stay. So what does the future hold for Android?

According to Strategy Analytics, global Android smartphone shipments will grow a staggering 900 percent in 2009, driven by widespread vendor and developer support. Coming in a distant second (in terms of growth), Apple iPhone OS will see a 79 percent growth rate in the same time period.

"The Android mobile operating system from Google gained early traction in the US in the second half of 2008 and it is gradually spreading its presence into Europe and Asia during 2009," said Tom Kang, senior analyst at Strategy Analytics. "Android is expanding from a low base and it is consequently outgrowing the iPhone OS from Apple, which we estimate will grow at a relatively lower 79% annually in 2009."

Thanks to its low-cost licensing model, mostly open-source structure, and support for cloud services, Android has the potential to be a major force in the smartphone market by the end of the year.