By the end of 2007, over 278 million Europeans will own feature-rich ‘smart’ phones, according to a report from Analysys.
Non-voice services are already being touted as a potential saviour for the mobile industry (see
European Mobile Industry Given Fresh Boost) and the new study,
Strategies for Mobile Device Evolution: Meeting and Creating Market Demand, states that all new handsets will be GPRS or UMTS-enabled by 2005. Researchers believe that users will be tempted by features such as colour screens, Java gaming capability, digital cameras, picture messaging, digital music and polyphonic ringtones.
“We are finally seeing the kinds of devices that really enhance the desirability of non-voice services,” said Julie Robson, the report’s author. “These feature phones will play a vital part in transforming the role of the mobile handset, from voice device to voice and data device, and will stimulate revenue growth for operators and equipment sales for vendors.”
Analysys forecasts that mobile data service revenues will increase from E14 billion in 2002 to E45 billion in 2007 by which time they will make up almost a third of all mobile expenditure.
