Smartphones are projected to claim more than half of global mobile phone shipments next year, unseating feature phones and ultra-low-cost handsets for the first time, a report showed Thursday.
Shipments of smartphones are expected to account for 54 percent of the worldwide mobile phone market in 2013, up from 46 percent in 2012 and 35 percent in 2011, according to the report by market researcher IHS iSuppli. The forecast comes earlier than a previous outlook that smartphones will take the lead in 2015.
"Over the past 12 months, smartphones have become increasingly affordable, and a wider variety of models have become available, spurring sales of both low-end smartphones in regions like Asia-Pacific, as well as midrange to high-end phones in the United States and Europe," the report said.
By 2016, smartphones are likely to claim 67.4 percent of the total market, while feature phones and ultra-low-cost phones account for 28.4 percent and 4.2 percent, respectively.
The rapid growth in smartphones is largely attributed to growing demand for phones that better support features, such as web surfing, in addition to traditional functions.
Phone makers have aggressively banked on the opportunity to drive their mobile phone businesses. In the first quarter, Samsung Electronics Co. became the world's top mobile phone maker on the back of its Galaxy smartphone series, unseating Nokia Oyj from its decade-long dominance.
In addition to the two companies, U.S.-based Apple Inc., China's ZTE and South Korea's LG Electronics Inc. were also among the top five mobile phone makers, according to IHS iSuppli. (Yonhap)