More than one in four handsets will be a smartphone with more than 1.5 billion being sold in year 2010, according to IMS Research's Online Cellular Database. “Research findings show that more than one in four handsets will be a smartphone, with more than 1.5 billion being sold in year 2010. This growth will be driven by touch-screen applications that enable the consumer to enjoy accessible and relevant mobile phone and internet browsing,” said Sandeep Saihgal, general manager, Mobile Phone Division, Samsung Gulf Electronics. Research firm iSuppli projected global market for touch-screen smartphones to grow to 341 million units with $3.4 billion in revenue by end of 2008. By 2013, iSuppli forecasts that this market segment will grow to 833 million units, expanding at an annual growth rate of 19.5 percent compared to 2008 with revenue to reach $6.4 billion. The smartphone segment is witnessing the fastest growth in the handset market. Handset vendors are coming out with new touch-screen smartphones every three to six months and many handset start-ups enter the market with smartphones offering higher margins, allowing new companies to become profitable sooner. According to another study by IDC, smartphones are certainly not new to business professionals. However, now more than ever, the attention is being shifted toward touch-screen smartphones as form factors become more appealing and price points are now competing with traditional mobile phones. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a leading mobile phone and telecommunication equipment provider, said on Tuesday the Middle East is one of its leading markets for smartphones, with a record number of smartphones being launched in the first nine months of 2008. The smartphone market is experiencing a high growth in UAE, whereby the demand reached 107,104 units for 2008. The growth in the smartphone market is being driven by a new breed of smartphones, which are decidedly more consumer-friendly. Samsung Electronics, which has been pioneering touch-screen technology for nearly a decade, has continued to innovate in the touch-screen market with its intuitive touch-screen technology enabling consumers' access to the most commonly used content, contacts and features with a simple flick of a finger. “Samsung sees great growth potential in the smartphone market, especially in this region, and has invested a lot of R&D and marketing resources in the Middle East for the past several years. Consequently, Samsung plans to offer a wider range of touch-screen and multimedia smartphone by 2009,” Saihgal said in a statement to the Saudi Gazette. Samsung Electronics has reinforced its leadership in this market by enhancing its impressive smartphones portfolio. In 2008, Samsung launched F480 equipped with Samsung's unique Touch-WiZ UI, window-bases Omnia, Haptic, F490, Instinct and yet to be launched Pixon. “Throughout 2008, we have provided our customers with a touch-screen lineup of smartphones, Samsung F480, Omnia, Haptic and Instinct were extremely well received by users and industry professionals all around the world,” he said. “The growth in the smartphone market is being driven by touch-screen smartphones, which are more consumer-friendly,” he added. Samsung's smartphone strategy is focused on manufacturing stylish touch screen phones with advanced user interface that provide the customer with easy access to the desired applications. Meanwhile, Nokia unveiled recently the Nokia N97, the world's most advanced mobile computer, which will transform the way people connect to the Internet and to each other. Designed for the needs of Internet-savvy consumers, the Nokia N97 combines a large 3.5” touch display with a full qwerty keyboard, providing an “always open” window to favorite social networking sites and Internet destinations. Nokia's flagship Nseries device introduces leading technology - including multiple sensors, memory, processing power and connection speeds - for people to create a personal Internet and share their ‘social location.' “From the desktop to the laptop and now to your pocket, the Nokia N97 is the most powerful, multi-sensory mobile computer in existence,” said Jonas Geust, vice president, heading Nokia Nseries. __
