Strategy Analytics is predicting that HTC Android-based phones will constitute roughly 4% of total smartphone sales in the US market this year. The firm forecasts that Google will sell ".4 million units" (400K) in Q4. The iPhone is expected to sell approximately 11 million 3G units by the end of the year and at least double that next year.

The smartphone segment is the fastest growing part of the US handset market. But the market is becoming more competitive with RIM, Apple, Windows Mobile, Symbian, Palm and soon Android battling for visibility and sales. Venerable smartphone maker Palm reported earnings yesterday:

Smartphone sell-through for the quarter was 1,029,000 units, up 49 percent year over year. Smartphone revenue was $333.8 million, up 10 percent from the year-ago period.

However the company's net loss widened amid this growing competition.