There's no denying that Android has experienced major growth in the past year, as this trend has been well-documented.  Research firm Gartner believes that this growth will continue, eventually making Android the number two mobile operating system in the world by 2011.  That's not the end of Android's dominance, though, as Gartner has stated that by 2014, Android will challenge Symbian as the top OS in the world, trailing the number one spot by only 0.6 percent market share.  To back up their bold claims, Gartner offered the following explanation:

"Gartner expects manufacturers such as Samsung to launch many new budget Android devices in 2H10 that will drive Android into mass market segments. Other players, such as Sony Ericsson, LG and Motorola, will follow a similar strategy. This trend should help Android become the top OS in North America by the end of 2010."

It's obvious that manufacturers have embraced Android thanks to its growing popularity and customizability, with almost every handset maker imaginable hopping on the Android bandwagon.  When you consider that there are numerous Android phones on every national carrier and the fact that Google's green robot is going to be put on tablet devices, as well, Gartner's prediction doesn't seem too crazy.  Perhaps one day we'll even see Android topple Symbian to become the top mobile OS worldwide.

Via Android Central, Gartner