Lagging between US and Europe in terms of smartphone adoption, research firm Nielsen is billing Asia as a massive opportunity.
Consumer figures obtained by the firm suggest, while only 20 percent of mobile consumers currently own a smartphone, almost half intend to upgrade to one in 2011.
That's an increase the firm believes will trigger a surge to mirror growth already seen in the west.
Meeting of minds
However, while Android is already perceived by many to be the dominant force in the region, Nielsen believes the mindshare enjoyed by both iPhone and BlackBerry will see them come out on top.
"In our recent brand surveys, iPhone was second amongst all handset brands in Vietnam in terms of top-of-mind recall, while in Indonesia, BlackBerry was in fourth place, ahead of many longer established handset brands," said global executive director of telecom practice Hanis Harun on the Nielsen blog.
"Mind share will likely play a key role in determining which brands will do well in the region, and the iPhone and BlackBerry have much higher mind share relative to their current market positions."
As a result, Harun asserts both Apple and RIM will be able to grow their businesses in key Asian markets far quicker than rivals that already enjoy a strong base.
From smartphone to tablet
Nielsen sees the adoption of smartphones having a knock-on effect on the growth of tablets in the region.
"Sales in the US and Western Europe have been surpassing expectations, and there is no reason for this trend to be different in Asia Pacific," added Harun.
"As the substitution effect of tablets tends to be against laptops, PCs and netbooks, many - if not most - tablet owners will also own a smartphone."
It's Harun's belief that smartphone owners in Asia will look to adopt the same OS for their tablet devices as long as the platform holders offer a consistent and "seamless service and content mobility" across the ecosystem a trend that would offer iPad an immediate advantage.
[source: Nielsen]
Data & Research
With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font.
Related Articles
as
News
Jun 29th, 2016
Nielsen's TalkingData-powered Games IP Evaluator will "quantify game potential" for China
Top Stories
News
Apr 27th, 2024
PocketGamer.biz Podcast Week in Views E09 - Supercell's Squad Busters goes global, Embracer Group splits, and Apple's Vision Pro flops
News
Apr 26th, 2024
Week in Views - Squads busted, Apple crushed, War zoned and Snoozin' with the Snorlax…
Feature
Apr 26th, 2024
Speaker Spotlight: Dubai Future Foundation's Faisal Kazim on leading Dubai's gaming charge
Events
Dubai GameExpo Summit 2024 | Middle East | May 1st |
The MENA Games Industry Awards 2024 | Middle East | May 2nd |
GameDev Atlantic 2024 | May 4th | |
Mobidictum Meetup Berlin May 2024 | Europe | May 7th |
Mobidictum Meetup Tallinn May 2024 | Europe | May 21st |
Israel Mobile Summit 2024 | Middle East | Jun 6th |
DevGAMM Vilnius 2024 | Europe | Jun 14th |
Develop: Brighton 2024 | Europe | Jul 9th |
Popular Stories
News
Apr 23rd, 2024
Supercell’s Squad Busters soft launches today with over 100,000 Google Play downloads
News
Apr 25th, 2024