Around 85 percent of the global population currently owns mobile phones. Together, Nokia and Samsung control half the global phone market. A growing middle class in developing countries and the falling cost of handsets are driving smartphone growth across the globe. Meanwhile, the growth of new activations and replacement devices in highly populated areas of the Asia-Pacific region will be an important driver for handset growth in the future.

This report forecasts the global handset market, examining the following regions: the Americas; Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA); and Asia-Pacific. Drivers for handset growth include an increased number of subscribers in developing countries, the rollout of 3G and 4G wireless networks, and shorter upgrade cycles for technology.