Smartphones were the device success story of 2008, and they will be for 2009 if carriers and handset manufacturers get just a little smarter. According to several analyst reports, smartphones will continue to see growth this year, but price and applications will determine how much. For 2009, iSuppli is forecasting global growth as high as 11%, totaling 192.3 million units shipped, or as low as 6%, reaching only 183.9 million units. According to the firm, the industry will make it to the high end only if operators cut fees for data services and offer aggressive subsidies to reduce customer smartphone prices. Both the wireless operators and handset-makers have to sell consumers on the value of the smartphone to increase their already eroding confidence in the purchase, iSuppli said.
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