Dual-mode Wi-Fi and voice over IP (VoIP) handsets are the fastest growing area of the mobile market, with a compound annual growth rate of 198 percent between 2006 and 2010, new research indicates.
Sales of Wi-Fi phones topped US$535 million in 2006, a 327 percent increase from 2005's figures, according to analyst house Infonetics Research.
Shipments of mobile phones with Wi-Fi capability are also predicted to soar by nearly 1,300 percent between 2007 and 2010.
Richard Webb, directing analyst for wireless at Infonetics Research, said the appeal of converging mobile, wireless LAN and VoIP services into one device is driving Wi-Fi phone adoption, especially for dual-mode handsets.
Worldwide mobile phone sales of every type hit US$115.5 billion in 2006, up 13 percent from 2005.
Gemma Simpson of Silicon.com reported from London.
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