Android usage has grown by leaps and bounds in the last several months.  According to statistics from a ChangeWave research report, usage and overall consumer outlook towards Google’s mobile operating system has skyrocketed over the last three months.  As of December 2009, the research firm’s survey shows that 4% of all users now have smartphones running some version of Google’s Android OS. That’s a whopping increase of 200% since the previous survey released in September.

ChangeWave’s December 9-14 survey of over 4,000 consumers reveals that the Android OS is churning up the smartphone market, with Motorola’s new Droid the leading recipient of  attention (quickly being chased after by the Nexus One, of course). Furthermore, 21% of those planning a smartphone purchase in the next 90 days say they’d prefer to buy a phone with the Android OS – a massive 15% point leap from the 6% of just three months ago in September.

Three months ago, the Android OS was tied for last place in consumer preference among the dominant mobile operating systems – since then it has jumped to second place, ahead of all but the iPhone OS (28%) which is down 4% from previously.  Combined, the overall market share for Android is on the climb. This growth is benefitting both Android smartphone makers Motorola and HTC.  Since September, Motorola has had a 12% increase in terms of future buying, the first increase for the company in three years. HTC has also increased from 5% to 9% in the same time frame, a change prompted both by the N1 release and the November release of the Droid Eris.