We all know smartphones are the way of future. Still, we were kinda surprised to learn that within just 4 years (by 2013), they will account for almost a quarter (23%) of all new mobile phones. According to Juniper Research, the main driver behind this trend will be the proliferation of application stores that will make these devices better suited to individual users’ needs.
Undoubtedly Apple’s AppStore moved the industry in this direction, with 300 million applications being downloaded by iPhone users within five months of its launch. Apple’s offering was definitely not the first on the market, but its high visibility and ease of use has prompted players such as Nokia, RIM, and Google also to jump into the applications market.
Report author Andrew Kitson argues that thanks to this trend “very soon, the majority of new phones will be smartphones.”
Other Juniper’s findings include:
- By 2013, annual smartphone sales will reach around 300 million.
- Sales of smartphones will remain healthy during the recession as fewer mid-range devices compete for buyers’ attentions and pricing becomes more attractive, while consumers will come to believe that they will be getting more for their money by buying high-end devices.
- Device vendors are seeing falling margins on handset sales and need to diversify into service provision with high-value content from which they and their network operator partners can profit.
More information about Juniper’s report titled “Next Generation Smartphones: Players, Opportunities & Forecasts 2008-2013” is available from their website.