Smartphones, smartphones, smartphones! That's what we have to look forward to over the next several months.
According to new research by the International Data Corporation, a company that tracks technology market share and sales, smartphone makers are expected to "ship more than 450 million smartphones in 2011 compared to the 303.4 million units shipped in 2010." These predictions show that the smartphone market is expected to grow by as much as 50 per cent over the next year.
The worldwide demand for smartphones is fuelling a tense business market too. Google, Apple, Research in Motion and Microsoft, are heavily peddling their mobile operating systems and constantly take jabs at one another during new product announcements.
The smartphone race has also fuelled a mind-boggling morass of legal battles too. Apple has sued HTC, maker of the Google phone; Nokia has sued Apple, twice, over patents related to the iOS user interface; RIM has sued Sharp and Motorola over hardware.
For now, the agitation between these companies is good news for consumers as a multitude of options have become available at different prices.
Ramon Llamas, a senior research analyst with IDC's Mobile Devices Technology team, said in a news release that the Google Android platform was set to take the lead in the mobile operating system fight as Google partnered with more device manufactures to reach a broader audience.
"For the vendors who made Android the cornerstone of their smartphone strategies, 2010 was the coming-out party," wrote Mr. Llamas. "This year will see a coronation party as these same vendors broaden and deepen their portfolios to reach more customers, particularly first-time smartphone users."
IDC also noted that "Nokia's recent announcement to shift from Symbian to Windows Phone will have significant implications for the smartphone market going forward." The partnership between Microsoft and Nokia could make Windows Phone the second most popular mobile operating system worldwide by 2015, IDC said.
The first round of Nokia devices running the Windows Phone operating system are expected to appear by early 2012.