International research firm Parks Associates forecasts over 2 billion people worldwide will own at least one smartphone in 2015, with unit sales growing over 175% from 2010.
Hardware and software innovations, such as dual-facing camera-supported video chat and app-enabled content consumption, will continue to drive this market through the down economy. The firm's report Smartphone: King of Convergence (Second Edition) says smartphone shipments jumped 70% in 2010, with approximately 500 million users.
“Smartphones represent a new lifestyle,” said Harry Wang, Director, Mobile Research, Parks Associates. “Consumer desire for that lifestyle has accelerated the traditional mobile phone replacement cycle and will drive near-term hypergrowth of the smartphone market.”
