Latest version of iPhone marks Apple's continued focus on smartphone market

Comment from, Adam Leach, Devices principal analyst, Ovum.

UK: The latest version of the iPhone marks Apple's continued focus on the smartphone market. Ovum expects 171.9 million smartphones globally to be shipped this year, a growth of 23 percent on 2008 and will represent 15 percent of the total worldwide mobile phone market in 2009.

The latest offering from Apple is further evidence of the move towards managed device platforms (MDP), distinguishing those devices that are actively managed by OEMs, MNOs, web companies and retailers from those that aren’t.

Consumers will increasingly make buying decisions based not on a device’s potential to support advanced capabilities but –- crucially –- on the vendor managing their data and services on the device.

The ability to deliver a tightly integrated end-to-end service proposition including content and applications directly to consumers was pioneered by Apple, however, the adoption of the MDP model by Nokia, Google, Microsoft, Sony and other major vendors will drive the adoption of smartphones.