Smartphones' share in global mobile phone market to top 50 pct in 2015: report

SEOUL, Aug. 28 (Yonhap) -- The portion of smartphones in the global mobile handset market is expected to top 50 percent in 2015 as demand for low-priced and low-end models in emerging markets rises, a report said on Sunday.
   According to the report compiled by market researcher iSuppli, a total of 478 million smartphones are expected to be sold globally this year, with their market share in the global mobile phone market to reach around 33 percent.
   In 2015, sales of smartphones around the globe are expected to reach 1.03 billion units, accounting for around 54 percent of the global market, the report said.
   ISuppli said demand for cheap and low-end smartphones in India, China and Africa is forecast to rise down the road.
   The report also estimated that sales of cheap smartphones are expected to more than double every year through 2015.
   The report said Samsung Electronics Co., the world's No. 2 smartphone maker, saw its smartphone sales surge 600 percent during the second quarter of the year from a year earlier, driven by increased demand for low-end models in China and South America.
   Samsung Electronics and Apple Inc. of the U.S. are jostling for the top spot in the global smartphone market.
   sam@yna.co.kr
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