Super 3G mobilehandsets will take the
lion's share of the market by 2012.
Research firm Informa predicts global handset sales will reach
£1.452bn by 2012, led by sales of
super 3G, next generation mobile broadband devices.
The worldwide mobile market move towards higher data-rate
networks and associated handset availability has meant that by
2012, super 3G devices will become the largest selling handset
type, said Informa.
Although the rate of overall worldwide mobile handset growth
will slow from 2008, super 3G devices will account for 35.8% of all
handset sales in 2012, up from only 1.8% in 2007, Informa said.
Informa analyst Dave McQueen said, "Whilst handset manufacturers
are basing their business models on low margins and high-volume
supply for basic phones and low feature phones, they are currently
banking on high margins for feature rich phones, smartphones,
value-added service phones and mobile broadband devices supporting
super 3G and higher generations."