Demand for camera phones is forecast to continue to rocket after explosive market growth in 2003. Over 2.5 times as many camera phones were sold in 2003 as in the year before. Sales in 2003 reached close to a tenth of world cell phone shipments, according to a recent report by IMS Research. IMS Research's study of the worldwide market for cellular terminals, basestations and components estimated over 45 million of the 500 million cell phones shipped last year were fitted with a camera unit.
The coming years are forecast to exhibit a continuation of the high levels of growth experienced in 2003. By 2006 IMS Research expects that over 40% of all terminals shipped will be fitted with a camera unit.
However, 2003 was also the year of the digital still camera, when an estimated 47 million units were produced. These two applications are fighting over a currently limited imaging capacity.
Report author, Stuart Carlaw, stated that ".... if the growth in the digital camera market eases off, as many are predicting, everything could still be rosy for the camera phone manufacturer who could double their market over the next year or so."
Posted to the site on 9th February 2004
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/10575.php