Smart Phones Will be Majority of Phones Sold in 2013, Globally

2013 will mark the first year that smart phone shipments surpass those of feature phones, with smart phones expected to account for 52.2 percent of all mobile phone shipments worldwide, IDC now predicts. 

Emerging markets will account for 65 percent of all smart phones shipped during 2013, up from 43 percent in 2010. 

Smart phone shipments are expected to grow 33 percent year over year in 2013 reaching 958.8 million units, up from 722.5 million units last year. 

As you might suspect, a growing volume of sales in emerging markets will mean lower average device selling prices. 

In fact, smart phone average selling prices (ASPs) have declined to $372 in 2013, down from $407 in 2012 and $443 in 2011. 

Smart phone ASPs are expected to drop as low as $309 by 2017 with emerging market demand the main catalyst for the change. Average smart phone selling prices are expected to decline by about nine percent in 2013, IDC predicts.

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