Nowadays, it may look like everyone wields an iPhone or an Android. And yes, if you carry a Blackberry, you may as well consider
yourself a Luddite. But wait a second, there are people who still have to make a transition to smartphone and these people are still carrying a feature phone. Gasp! Well, you better believe it, since the quarter ending in August was the first one to witness higher shipment of smart phones than of feature phones in Western Europe region. During these three months, smart phones accounted for 52 percent of total phones sold in the market. The total number of phones sold in the region stood at 42 million. So just imagine, in last three months, about 20 million people decided to spend their money on buying a feature phone.
However, instead of wondering about the reasons which would convince a person to go for a feature phone, let’s focus on the rapid rise of smart phones instead. According to research firm IDC, Nokia saw its market share dwindling in Western Europe, whereas Samsung, RIM and HTC made some major strides. In last one year, smart phones have increased their market share from mere 33 percent to more than 52 percent. What’s more interesting is the fact that smart phones are registering growth at the time, when mobile market actually shrank by 3 percent in the region.
However, not all smart phones are created equal. Android phones are in the lead and are likely maintain it in the coming years. Though, this operating system is being followed closely by Apple’s iPhone. Currently, RIM with its Blackberry phones occupying the third position, but it is likely to lose its place to Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 in coming years. Smart phone segment is currently growing at the rate of 50 percent per quarter on year over year basis.