Smartphones already account for a majority of mobile phone sales in the U.S., and the same will be true worldwide by the end of next year, says market research firm IHS iSuppli. Previously, the firm had predicted that smartphones would attain a global majority by 2015, but the company now believes smartphones will account for 54 percent of sales by the end of 2013. In 2011, smartphones were 35 percent of global mobile phone sales.
Observers note that the growing smartphone sales represent an opportunity for the mobile development industry to target a more global audience.