Google’s Android OS will ship in eight million handsets in 2009, an increase of 900 percent compared to the year-ago period, according to Strategy Analytics. At that rate, it will be the fastest growing OS in the market. Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) is listed in second place with an expected growth rate of 79 percent.

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Since the Android OS only launched last year, that sort of hockey stick growth rate is more expected, but it still pales in comparison to Symbian, RIM (NSDQ: RIMM), Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) and Apple when it comes to number of handsets in the market place, reports Reuters.

Neil Mawston of Strategy Analytics said that Android is in a good position to become a top-tier player in smartphones over the next two to three years, and that handset vendors and operators are attracted to Android’s relatively low-cost licensing model, its semi-open-source structure and Google’s support for services. For example,  gigaom reported that T-Mobile USA—the first operator to launch an Android device—is looking to introduce three more this year. Cole Brodman, T-Mobile’s CTO told gigaom: “We are looking to launch multiple Android-based devices in the second half of this year with three partners.”

Generally, the smartphone market is expected to grow by 10 to 20 percent this year from 152 million handsets sold last year. In 2008, about half of all smartphones used Symbian, RIM sold 23.5 million, Microsoft 20 million and Apple 13.7 million phones, according to Strategy Analytics.