IDC predicts the WW smartphone market will grow by 55% Y-o-Y in 2011, with shipments reaching 472m units-- a figure the analyst predicts will nearly double to reach 982m units in 2015.
WW smartphone shipments in 2010 total around 305m units.
Fuelling the smartphone market's growth is falling average selling prices, increased phone functionality and lower-cost data plans, amongst other factors-- all making smartphones more accessible to a wider customer range.
The analyst expects Android to grow by more than 40% in 2011's second half, with a "significant and growing" number of vendors propelling such growth-- and its becoming top mobile OS WW in Q4 2010.
Symbian, meanwhile, continues losing market share as top supporter Nokia moves towards Windows Phone 7 (even if it commited itself to support Symbian until 2016).
iOS is 2011's 3rd ranking OS-- one IDC expects will grow at a relatively modest pace as the smartphone market matures and diversified. The analyst also predicts some decline in market share for Apple's OS in the 2011 - 2015 period, even if still it still expects iOS shipment volume growth to be "significant".
IDC predicts Windows Phone 7 will achieve the number 2 rank by 2015-- barring any obstacles in Nokia's transition to the OS. High volume WP7 growth will only really kick off once Nokia starts shipping its WP7 devices, particularly as Mango-powered devices by other vendors will only be available by late 2011.
Finally Blackberry OS will maintain its number 4, even if it will see some market share decline through the 2011 - 2015 period as shipment volumes grow.
