"The mobile phone handset market is undergoing a significant transformation, with previously voice-centric devices now incorporating a range of multimedia functions. Handset vendors and mobile operators need to understand how handsets will evolve and understand the underlying demanding factors that will drive changes in design, functionality and cost. This subject is of particular importance to handset vendors and mobile operators when global handset shipments are decelerating and operators? overall ARPUs continues to decline in some regions."

Dr Yanli Suo-Saunders, Analyst

This report analyses the evolution of the global mobile handset market in the next five to ten years, drawing on examples from handset vendors and mobile operators. The report argues that future handsets will fall into three broad categories: voice-centric, converged-function, and specialist handsets. The consumer demand for these three types of handsets is explored, key success factors for each type are evaluated and global market forecasts for the three types of handsets are provided, split by six world regions: Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, North America, developed Asia, developing Asia and rest of the world. The report identifies practical actions that handset vendors can take in order to compete effectively in these three handset categories. The report also identifies actions that mobile operators can take in order to best capitalise on these handset categories in order to attract customers and improve their ARPUs.

Evolution of Mobile Handsets to 2011 and Beyond answers your key questions:

• How will mobile handsets evolve in the next five to ten years worldwide?
• How does increasingly segmented consumer service demand impact on the future handset market?
• What are key success factors for the consumer acceptance of future mobile handsets?
• How should handset vendors compete more effectively and efficiently in the future handset market?
• How should mobile operators utilise future handsets to attract customers and improve their ARPUs?
• What is the size of handset shipments between 2005 and 2011, broken down by different types of handsets and by regions?

Who should read this report

• Handset vendors: executive management, research and development and product marketing can understand future trends in handset evolution, the underlying drivers of consumer demand and key success factors for the consumer acceptance of future handsets in order to prepare their investment and plan their product roadmaps.
  • Mobile network operators: partner vendor managers can develop their vision of handset development with other players in the handset value chain and utilise the full potential of future handsets in order to attract customers and improve ARPUs.
    • Mobile MVNOs: can understand the future trend in handset segmentation in order to enhance their positions and compete more effectively with established mobile operators in the market.
      • Handset component suppliers: can anticipate the evolution of their customers? needs for handset components and gain insights into the strategies of handset vendors and mobile operators in order to co-operate more effectively in the preparation of future product portfolio and roadmaps.
        • Handset software application developers: can understand the underlying factors driving the design criteria for handset operating systems, user interfaces and applications and anticipate the relative impact of messaging services, information downloads and entertainment demands on operator and vendors requirements for handset software.
          • Consumer electronics and IT manufacturers that have a strategic interest in the mobile phone market: can identify potential partners and competitors in the design and manufacture of future mobile telephony devices and understand how they can position their manufacturing expertise in order to capitalise on the demands for integrated imaging, music, video, gaming and specialist functionality in handset designs.
            • Industrial designers: can understand the factors that are shaping form factor, design and aesthetics in handset design and gain an overview of the technological parameters (such as battery life and application functionality) that are critical in designing an effective handset.
              • Retailers: corporate, financial and procurement managers can anticipate future trends in mobile handsets, and establish criteria that trend spotters and buyers will use to identify ?hit? products before their launch and purchase appropriate stock from handset vendors, enhancing their supply-chain and inventory management.
                • Investor and financial analysts: can understand the evolving handset market in order to make the correct investment decisions