Unit shipments of "mobile terminals." Source: Gartner
Gartner has boosted its previous projection for mobile phone sales in 2005 "significantly" to 779 million units, according to Ben Wood, Research Vice President of Gartner for Mobile Terminals, a 16 percent increase over 2004. Among other projections, the report says that more than 100 million 3G phones will be sold in 2006, and that the Indian market to overtake the Chinese market in terms of annual sales in 2009. As for the entire Asia/Pacific segment of the mobile phone market, it represents 25 percent of the worldwide market today, Gartner says, predicting that this will increase to 33 percent by 2009.

"The world's appetite for mobile phones has exceeded even the most optimistic expectations," said Wood. "Mobile phones could go on to be the most common consumer electronics devices on the planet." Gartner estimates there will be 2.6 billion mobile phones in use by the end of 2009.

Smartphones fastest growing category

"Smartphone sales broke all records in the first quarter of 2005 and we expect them to double year on year to 2006," says Roberta Cozza, principal analyst at Gartner. And a deeper analysis of the forecast, she explains, "shows that smartphones are the fastest growing category of device."

According to Gartner, Windows Mobile smartphones almost doubled their market share in Q1 2005 over Q1 2004, although that share is a minority one. Upwards of 76 percent of smartphones run the Symbian OS, according to Gartner, with Linux a distant second at around 14 percent, and Palm OS and Windows Mobile in a virtual tie with 4.6 and 4.5 percent, respectively.

First quarter 2005 smartphone shipments, by OS. Source: Gartner

The Gartner data may be skewed, however: it appears that Gartner's data does not take Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC Phones into account, which utilize the same software platform as Windows Mobile-based Smartphones. Gartner did not immediately reply to WindowsForDevices.com's request for clarification on this issue.

Further details on Gartner's report, "Forecast: Mobile Terminals, Worldwide, 2000-2009," are available here.

---

Related stories:

• Microsoft expects to dominate smartphones in three years
  
• Windows Mobile device development deemed fastest, "most predictable"
  
• Report: Symbian to feel increasing pressure from Windows Mobile
  
• Symbian, Microsoft, Linux scuffle over burgeoning smartphone market
  
• Report examines Microsoft's Smartphone OS market position
  
• Report: Microsoft's smartphone shipment goals face "uphill battle"
  
• Smartphone market ready for blast-off
  
• IDC: Worldwide smartphone market grows 85% year-over-year
  
• Smartphones, connected PDAs to grab 25% of cellphone market by 2009
  
• Report: "full-featured" handsets to disrupt mobile electronics sector
  
• IDC notes 400% year-over-year smartphone market growth
  
• Mobile phones will overtake iPods, says Gates
  
• "World's first" 3G phone based on Windows Mobile 5.0
  
• Microsoft attacks Blackberry with Windows Mobile data push
  
• Details emerge on Microsoft/Flextronics ODM smartphone
  
• Is the Smartphone a smart idea?
  
• Showcase: Windows powered smartphones and Pocket PC phones