According to the International Data Corporation, IDC Worldwide Quarterly Phone Tracker vendors will ship a total of 472 million smartphones
in 2011, compared to roughly 305 million units shipped in 2010, making a 55% growth since last year.
The smartphone market, which will grow more than four times the rate of the overall
mobile phone market this year, is being fueled by falling average selling
prices, increased functionality, and lower-cost data plans among other
factors.
"The
smartphone floodgates are open wide," said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone
Tracker.
IDC expects Android,
which passed Symbian as the leading operating system worldwide in Q4 2010, to
grow to more than 40% of the market in the second half of 2011.
Symbian will
steadily lose share throughout the forecast period as its biggest supporter
Nokia transitions its smartphone strategy to Windows Phone.
iOS was the third -ranked OS going
into 2011 and will remain a force in the mobile phone market throughout the
forecast.
BlackBerry OS is expected
to maintain its position as a Top 4 smartphone operating system over the
forecast period.
Windows Phone 7/Windows
Mobile will benefit from Nokia's support, scope, and breadth within markets
where Nokia has historically had a strong presence. Until Nokia begins
introducing Windows Phone-powered smartphones in large volumes in 2012, Windows
Phone 7/Windows Mobile will only capture a small share of the market as the
release of Mango-powered smartphones are not expected to reach the market until
late 2011. Nevertheless, assuming that Nokia's transition to Windows Phone goes
smoothly, the OS is expected to defend a number 2 rank and more than 20% share
in 2015.