14 DAY TRIAL // Juniper Research has recently published a new market report that predicts that the smartphones will account for about 23 percent of the total number of mobile phones that will be sold by 2013. According to the report, they will see an increased traction from users mainly due to the app stores that will be selling applications to make the devices better suited for the needs of the individuals.
Many mobile phone makers have started launching their own software portals having as model the successful App Store introduced by Apple, which reported that over 300 million applications were downloaded from it by the iPhone users within the next five months following the portal's launch. This popularity shows that smartphones are being fast adopted by more and more consumers, so as to be able to enjoy a complete, multi-utility lifestyle tool.
Apple's store was not the first on the market, yet industry players like Nokia, RIM, and Google have also entered the software marketplace area based on the success it registered due to its visibility and ease of use.
Andrew Kitson, the author of the smartphone report, states the following: “As vendors increasingly open up the operating system software on their devices, so will the rate at which mobile handsets evolve into personalized Internet-centric mobile computers gather momentum. In this way, users are having an indirect impact on the way in which devices are changing their form and function as well as how they interact with their surroundings. Very soon, the majority of new phones will be smartphones.”
The mentioned report also pinpoints that smartphone sales will reach around 300 million units on a yearly basis, while also being able to remain healthy although the market is passing through an economic recession. This state of facts is driven by a smaller number of mid-range devices that could interest users, while the prices of smarphones will also become more attractive. At the same time, device vendors will also seek to come to the market with more services that would complement a falling margin on handset sales, while also allowing carrier partners to increase their profits.