New CE players entering smartphone market this year to account for over 26 million units by 2015

HAMPSHIRE, UK: A new study from Juniper Research has forecast that challengers from the consumer electronics market will achieve global sales of smartphones exceeding 26 million by 2015. In addition, Asia will assert greater influence in the production of Smartphone devices.

“The availability of the Android operating system and the commoditised nature of several elements of the handset supply chain are behind both of these developments,” says Anthony Cox, senior Analyst at Juniper Research. “Any manufacturer with consumer electronics expertise can add mobility to their devices by incorporating an Android operating system into a smartphone,” he says, adding that they are doing so partly due to the tight margins in the PC industry.

Until five or six years ago Western Europe dominated the handset market, the US manufacturers led by RIM and latterly Apple then began to assert their dominance. The market is shifting again as handset manufacturers like HTC, LG and ZTE bolster their smartphone portfolios, finds the report.

Further findings from the Smartphones report include:
• Smartphone functionality will increasingly filter down to mid-tier handsets.
• Competition will drive smartphone pricing down, though this may be mitigated against by the launch of handsets with new functionality.
• The combination of the smartphone and the app store will result in substantial increases in data usage over the smartphone device.
• 3D functionality and dual core processors are among several technical development which will come to light over the next five years.

At least 10 players are planning to launch both smartphone and tablets this year but it remains to be seen how they will fare: “Barriers to entry may have come down but competition is fiercer than ever,” says Cox. “The consumer is likely to benefit most through lower prices and enhanced functionality,” he says, even if some players fall by the wayside.