Dive Brief:
- The latest market project from research firm IDC has revealed that worldwide smartphone shipments should hit 1 billion units for the first time by the end of 2013.
- The main cause of the influx in smartphone purchases is the dramatic drop in average selling price to $337, down 12.8% from 2012.
- The lower ASP and market saturation means the smartphone is becoming an essential part of daily life for more people.
Dive Insight:
With smartphones becoming more essential, marketers will no longer be able to ignore the mobile space. Many users who may have opted for a feature phone because of price can now afford a smartphone, which will affect the development of feature phones and those who market through them. Emerging markets in Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa will be lucrative for those mobile marketers that take advantage.