The worldwide mobile phone market felt the full effects of the economic crisis in the fourth quarter of 2008 as shipments fell 11.6% year over year, marking the first time the holiday quarter has not recorded double digit growth in seven years. This closed out a year that was dismal at best, yet overall 2008 managed to grow 4.3% over ... continued »

A new smartphones report from Juniper Research forecasts that these so-called ‘smartphones’ will account for 23% of all new handsets sold per annum by 2013. Driving interest in smartphones will be the proliferation of online stores selling specialised applications that will make these devices better suited to individual users’ needs. continued »

The approaching switchover to all-digital television broadcasting in the United States and other major countries will create an unprecedented opportunity for the mobile TV market, according to a new study from ABI Research. While mobile broadcast TV was pioneered in Japan and South Korea, following the switchover traditional and mobile TV broadcasters and cellular operators in many regions will launch ... continued »

The worldwide mobile phone market experienced an unusual downturn in the normally robust fourth quarter of 2008 (4Q08). According to IDC's Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker, vendors shipped a total of 289.0 million units, 12.6% lower than the 330.8 million units shipped during 4Q07. For the full year 2008, vendors shipped a total of 1.18 billion units worldwide, 3.5% greater than ... continued »

comScore reports that the number of mobile game downloaders grew 17 percent from November 2007 to November 2008, when 8.5 million people, or 3.8 percent of mobile subscribers, downloaded a game to their mobile device. continued »

The number of mobile phone subscribers that use their phones for mobile banking transactions will exceed 150m globally by 2011, according to a new study by Juniper Research. The Juniper Research report determined that the mobile banking market is currently most advanced in the Far East, but that growing numbers of mobile banking services are being offered in North America ... continued »

A new research report from the analyst firm Berg Insight predicts that on Western markets the mobile Internet will evolve from the fixed internet, as PC users cross over to the new media, rather than as an independent entity. "There is only one Internet and its users do not accept boundaries imposed by devices or networks", said Sabine Ehlers, Associate ... continued »

The global mobile handset market went into a tailspin in October and November, which will result in a nearly 5% YoY decline in unit shipments in Q4. While 2009 is likely to see more stormy economic weather, there are a few rays of sunshine.  continued »

Once, NFC (Near Field Communication) was the leading contender among technologies that could enable mobile payments. But NFC has developed more slowly than anticipated, and will not offer viable large-scale mobile payment solutions for at least six years. In the mean time three existing technologies - SMS, mobile Internet and downloadable mobile applications - have the potential to deliver what ... continued »

Defying the global economic slowdown, India's mobile-phone demand is expected to continue to rise at an accelerated rate in 2009 due to the rollout of 3G and WiMAX networks and the implementation of Mobile Number Portability (MNP), according to iSuppli Corp. continued »