Smartphone sales 'hit record high'

Sales of smartphones reached record levels in 2010, the latest figures from International Data Corporation (IDC) have shown, news which could mean more people using VoIP services.

According to the research firm's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, vendors worldwide shipped a total of 302.6 million smartphones, an increase of 74.4 per cent on 2009.

During the fourth quarter of 2010, 100.9 million units were shipped, a jump of 87.2 per cent compared with the last three months of 2009, the report continued.

Looking forward, IDC expects demand in the smartphone market to continue to grow in 2011, as vendors "deepen and broaden their offerings".

Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC's mobile phone technology and trends team, said the company expects to see more low-end and mid-range models hitting the mass market.

"In the same manner, even high-end devices will become available at lower prices. This will result in greater competition and more selection for users," he added.

In a recent article for Information Week, Paul Korzeniowski suggested IP telephony via mobile devices is becoming more mainstream because of the growing use of smartphones.