Smartphones to take 25% of market

Smartphones will account for over a quarter of all mobile sales in 2011, according to a forecast by Informa Telecoms & Media.

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The research firm predicts that over 342 million smartphones (27% of all mobiles) will be sold next year due to manufacturers drastically reducing their price and the rising popularity of devices using Google’s Android operating system.

The predictions came as the research firm unveiled its top ten predictions for the telecoms industry next year.

Mark Newman, chief research officer at Informa Telecoms & Media, says: “Handset vendors have moved quickly to embrace the emergence of a mass-market for smartphones.”

Informa also predicted that mobile operators will have to form strategic relationships with traditional internet brands, such as Google and Facebook, to prevent being sidelined in the mobile internet business.

“Looking forward to 2011, we have identified the mobile internet as a mass market and the importance of strategic partnerships with internet players,” adds Newman.

This story first appeared on newmediaage.co.uk