Smartphones Now More Popular Than Ever in Europe

Ever since the iPhone was released onto the unsuspecting public in 2007, the appeal of the smartphone has grown year by year. While there have been various versions, models and manufacturers of smartphones since the early 1990s, the introduction of newer models, such as the aforementioned iPhone, Android and Blackberry, has made it much easier to own a smartphone. Recent research from the market research company IDC has revealed that more people in Western Europe are choosing to buy these particular devices than ever before.

The research, which was published on the 9th of September, found that smartphone shipments have outstripped normal mobile phone shipments for the first time in the second quarter of 2011. The shipments of smartphones have reaches 52% of the total mobile phone shipments within Western Europe, which is an increase of 48% year over year, to create an impressive total of 21.8 million units. Other, more traditional mobile phones, however, have dropped in the same region by 29%, falling to 20.4 million units.

IDC put the sudden rise in demand and shipment of smartphones down to the down to a number of factors, such as the recent addition of the iPhone 5 to the market, the decline in sales and popularity of Nokia phones, and the introduction of other smartphones, such as the latest window phone from HTC, Android phones and many other competitors.

Other reasons for the sudden popularity of smartphones have been attributed to the cost of smartphones falling, a slimmer, much lighter design, much better beta deals, such as T-Mobile's unlimited package, more choice in make, model and type, and the ability to use social networks, such as Twitter and Facebook on our smartphone devices.

Amongst the most popular manufacturers of smartphones during the second quarter of 2011 were Samsung - who owned 33% of the market share of phone vendors - Nokia (21%), Apple (11%), HTC (7%), and Research in Motion, makers of the Blackberry phones, (7%).