"Phenomenal" smartphone growth in 2009

The presence of smartphones in the global mobile phones market continued to grow in 2009, GfK has said.

Smartphones mow make up 11 per cent of the market, a two per cent increase over the last year, according to the market research company.

GfK described the growth, propelled by the consumers wanting more high-tech handsets, as "a phenomenal achievement".

The increasing prominence of smartphones has seen a movement towards 3G technology, which potentially augurs well for the VoIP carrier market.

The growing demand for more advanced mobile phones could increase the popularity of IP telephony solutions, with smartphones being equipped to run VoIP apps.

Smartphone market growth is being fuelled by the volume of new phones that have become available, with almost a quarter of European sales coming from handsets introduced in 2009.

The touchscreen share of the European market grew from five to 14 per cent in 2009. In the UK, touchscreen phones now account for 18 per cent of all phones sold.

The transition to 3G technology will see the mobile infrastructure market grow significantly through to 2014, Dell'Oro Group recently reported.

The switch to 3G mobile telecommunications could potentially see the use of mobile VoIP solutions increase.