Android to reach 140 million units in 2011

IMS did not state when in 2011 the 140 million number would be attained or the size of the Android portable device installed base at the end of 2010. However, the unveiling of Google’s Android 3.0 operating system for tablets, known as Honeycomb, along with enhancements to the Android Market website, will help the growth of Android, IMS said.

"This provides an exciting opportunity for pay-TV operators, which have traditionally been tethered to the living room, to expand the reach of their brands to multiple portable platforms with apps development," said Anna Hunt, principal analyst with IMS, in a statement.

"In total, Apple OS and Android OS were present in nearly 125 million connected devices shipped in 2010 and this is only expected to increase in 2011. Such reach into consumers’ hands means more operators will be developing apps that enable subscribers to purchase and consume content on new portable platforms and explore new convergence applications, such as controlling your on-demand service on the TV set via the smartphone," stated Bill Morelli, research director for Mobile Technologies at IMS Research.