The worldwide market for touchscreen mobile devices would surpass 362.7 million units in 2010, a 96.8 per cent increase from 2009 sales of 184.3 million units, according to a forecast from IT research and advisory firm Gartner Inc.
By 2013, touchscreen mobile devices would account for 58 per cent of all mobile device sales worldwide and more than 80 per cent in developed markets such as North America and Western Europe, a statement from Gartner said.
“Touchscreens are no longer the preserve of high-end devices and are now being included in many mid-range phones as more companies have been driving the consumer market for affordable touchscreen phones,” Roberta Cozza, Principal Research Analyst at Gartner, said.
With mobile phone vendors focused on integrating touch technologies, many are now going a step further and beginning to deliver user interfaces that are truly optimised for touch input.
From a sales volume perspective, Asia Pacific is the leading region for touchscreen mobile devices. In 2010, touchscreen mobile device sales in the region are projected to surpass 129.1 million units, accounting for 35.6 per cent of the global market.
In comparison, Western Europe and North America are expected to account for 26.8 per cent and 24.4 per cent of global touchscreen mobile device sales.
