Smartphone Market Expected to Soar in 2011

The smartphone market is expected to grow by as much as 50 percent over the next year.

According to new research by the International Data Corporation, a company that tracks technology market share and sales, smartphone makers are expected to “ship more than 450 million smartphones in 2011 compared to the 303.4 million units shipped in 2010.”

Google Android platform was set to take the lead in the mobile operating system fight as Google partnered with more device manufactures to reach a broader audience. “For the vendors who made Android the cornerstone of their smartphone strategies, 2010 was the coming-out party,” wrote Ramon Llamas, a senior research analyst with IDC’s Mobile Devices Technology team. ”This year will see a coronation party as these same vendors broaden and deepen their portfolios to reach more customers, particularly first-time smartphone users.” IDC also noted that “Nokia’s recent announcement to shift from Symbian to Windows Phone will have significant implications for the smartphone market going forward.” The partnership between Microsoft and Nokia could make Windows Phone the second most popular mobile operating system worldwide by 2015, IDC said.