Smartphone sales to top 900 million
2013-03-04 18:56
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Washington - Smartphone sales are expected to extend
their strong growth trend in 2013 with about 918 million units worldwide, led by
gains in big emerging markets China, Brazil and India, a survey showed on Monday.
The research firm IDC said 2013 will be the first year
smartphones will outsell the more basic feature phones in the mobile market,
and will account for 50.1% of all mobile phones.
"Smartphone prices have fallen globally, the
smartphone strata are wider than ever, and the roll-out of data-centric
fourth-generation wireless networks are three factors that have made these
'do-it-all' devices an increasingly attractive option for users," IDC
said.
The research firm said that by the end of 2017, 1.5
billion smartphones will be shipped worldwide, over two-thirds of the total
mobile phone market.
IDC said the growing middle classes in China, Brazil, and
India are driving up smartphone sales.
China, which supplanted the US last year as the global
leader in smartphone shipments, is expected to see sales of 301 million this
year, or 32.8% of the global market, ahead of the 137 million in the US.
"While we don't expect China's smartphone growth to
maintain the pace of a runaway train as it has over the last two years, there
continue to be big drivers to keep the market growing as it leads the way to
ever-lower smartphone prices and the country's transition to 4G networks is
only just beginning," said IDC's Melissa Chau.
India is expected to become the number three market for
smartphones by 2017, and Brazil will be fourth, as those countries overtake
mature markets like Japan and Britain, IDC said.
