Asia is expected to be one of the fastest growing smartphone markets in the next few years.
Smartphone shipments are expected to more than quadruple between now and 2015, giving Asia 29% of smartphone shipments during 2015, according to a new study from IMS Research.
Overall shipments of smartphones are forecast to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 25.9% between now and 2015.
According to IMS Research analyst Chris Schreck, one factor is the expansion of 3G networks in China and in the near future in India.
“The populations of these countries are significant enough to drive substantial smartphone growth, even if smartphones make up a relatively small portion of the country’s total handset shipments,” said Schreck.
Smartphones are also becoming more affordable.
“Smartphones have become mass market devices, rather than luxury purchases,” said Schreck.
Market-leading companies such as Apple and Motorola are adapting products for the Asian markets. But there is increasing competition from Asian handset vendors like Huawei, ZTE, HTC, and Acer in the Asian smartphone space.
See: ST-Ericsson and HTC eye China smartphone market