Android, Google’s mobile operating system, is set to contest the top spot in market share from Symbian within the next four years, says international technology research firm Gartner.

Android was launched in late 2007 and has climbed steadily towards being the most popular operating system since.

Gartner says that before the year is out, Android will muscle Research In Motion’s BlackBerry operating system out of second place. By 2014, Google’s operating system will rival Symbian’s strong lead.

Symbian is Nokia’s preferred operating system. However, many commentators in the mobile handset space say Symbian is not keeping up with the development pace of some other operating systems.

Gartner principal research analyst Roberta Cozza says: “Symbian will remain at the top of Gartner’s ranking this year due to Nokia’s volume and the push into more mass-market price points.”

She says Android’s second-place position at the end of this year is two years ahead of Gartner’s initial expectations.

“The launch of updated operating systems, such as Apple iOS 4, BlackBerry OS 6, Symbian 3 and Symbian 4, and Windows Phone 7, will help maintain strong growth in smartphones in the second half of 2010 and 2011 and spur innovation,” says Cozza.

Gartner says it expects many manufacturers to release new budget devices running the Android system, which will bring it more directly into the mass market. — Staff reporter, TechCentral