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A recent iSuppli report predicts that smartphone sales will jump 11 percent this year on a global level, which isn’t bad at all for smartphone makers considering the economic downturn. Even the most pessimistic prediction shows a 6 percent increase for 2009, the report also reveals.
“With 3G networks having become prevalent all over the world, smartphones are no longer just for corporate users -- they are for consumers too,” said Tina Teng, iSuppli senior wireless communications analyst, as quoted by Reuters.
The difference between the optimistic and the pessimistic prediction will ultimately be made by wireless network operators, who will need to offer more attractive data plans and prices for smart phones, Teng also explained.
iSuppli also highlighted the importance of smartphone applications, which are one of the most important factors in attracting consumers.
According to a recent Gartner report, despite mobile phone sales going down 4.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008 compared to the previous year, the industry experienced growth in mobile sales for high end users.
Analysts have also reported that smartphone sales represented twice as much in sales last year than the year before that. Despite consumer confidence loss, users still seem willing to upgrade or purchase a new phone.
In North America for example, smartphones continued to drive customers to upgrade their devices, and as a proof of that, smartphones sales accounted almost 20 percent of total sales in the region, thanks to the launch of devices such as G1, or BlackBerry Storm.
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