Smartphone popularity contributes to sustained mobile sales

Sustained mobile phone handset sales during the third quarter of this year were largely due to the popularity of smartphones, new data suggests.

According to Gartner, sales of conventional mobile phones rose by just 0.1 per cent on the same period last year, but smartphone sales rose by nearly 13 per cent, with more people apparently seeking to use the internet from mobile devices and potentially being able to use VoIP solutions.

More intense competition has resulted in a livelier market as different brands look to appeal to customers by offering a greater range of web-enabled features.

Brian Turner, executive editor of MobileWire.co.uk, said: "Where one platform allows a strong range of features to perform well, other companies will seek to extend that platform further."

He added that many consumers are now looking for handheld devices that offer similar functionality to their home computers.

Nearly 309 million conventional mobile phone handsets were sold globally during the third quarter of this year, according to figures from Gartner.