Sales of smart phones the UK have increased by almost 250% since last year, with mobile users attracted by the new generation of handheld devices, including camera phones.
The telecoms research firm
Canalys reports that shipments of smart phones, including the Nokia 3650 and Sony Ericsson P800, totalled almost 1.7 million in the second quarter of 2003, up from 500,000 in the same period last year.
Growth has been driven by sales of camera-embedded phones which came to 2.6 million in Western Europe last year. It is forecast that by 2006, most of the mobile phones on the market will come with cameras (see Camera Phones To Galvanise European Mobile Market).
However, there is also growing demand for advanced voice and data services and leading manufacturers have stepped up their efforts to roll out multi-feature mobiles.
“Shipments of the high-end phones are growing in line with our forecasts and while the camera is still the main attraction for many, users will increasingly take advantage of the other data features,” said Canlys director and senior analyst Chris Jones. “The challenge of the whole mobile market is to extend consumer usage of these devices beyond the traditional phone and handhelds applications.”
