14 DAY TRIAL // One segment of the mobile phone market that should see impressive growth during the following years is that of handsets that boast Wi-Fi connectivity. According to a recently published report from Coda Research Consultancy, the Wi-Fi enabled mobile handsets are expected to see a 25 percent CAGR in the United States between 2010 and 2015, reaching 149 million by that year.
“Much of this growth is due to smartphone penetration. The variety of high bandwidth applications available, powerful processors, better battery technologies, increased internet functionality, and range of multitasking capabilities will mean significant rises in smartphone behavior. This, together with Wi-Fi integration, superior and more reliable Wi-Fi speeds, growth in Wi-Fi hotspots and carriers embracing Wi-Fi, all help to explain escalation in Wi-Fi enabled handset shipments and usage,” the research firm notes.
According to Coda Research Consultancy, the shipments of Wi-Fi enabled cellular handset models already started to show significant growth, as they were two and a half times higher during 2009 when compared to 2008. Based on this phenomenal growth, the research firm says that “all mobile device, component, content and service organizations” should understand the trends in this market segment.
Other findings of the report include: - Worldwide Wi-Fi devices in use will rise at a +16% CAGR between, 2009 and 2015, reaching 2.6bn units in 2015 - Worldwide Wi-Fi shipments will reach 1.6bn units in 2015 - Worldwide, the proportion of mobile handsets shipped with Wi-Fi will account for 42% of all shipped mobile handsets in 2015 - US Wi-Fi mobile phone shipments will grow at +22% CAGR between 2009 and 2015 - Smartphones will dominate devices used in Wi-Fi hotspots: Two thirds of Wi-Fi hotspot connections will be via smartphones in 2015 in the US - The proportion of Wi-Fi enabled mobile phone owners in the US who use the facility on their devices will reach 80% in 2015
When it comes to the Wi-Fi standards used in smartphones, 802.11n is forecast to be included in 95 percent of all smartphones that will boast the technology by 2015. The report also shows that video traffic via Wi-Fi is expected to increase by 118 percent between 2009 and 2015, the technology will have a great significance for carriers, especially since it offers great cost advantages, and can provide operators with new revenue streams. Additional details on the “Wi-Fi enabled mobile phone handsets in the US, 2010-2015” report from Coda Research Consultancy are available on its website.