The next two years should see a marked increase in sales for 4G long term evolution (LTE) mobile phones, it has been predicted.
According to new figures from ABI Research, there was an estimated 103 million 4G LTE mobile devices shipped in 2012 – and this number is set to carry on rising throughout 2013 and 2014.
Phil Solis, research director at the research and analysis organisation – which was established in 1990 and has offices in North America, Europe and Asia – said: “By 2017 we are anticipating 785 LTE million subscribers, up from 58 million at the end of 2012 – generating $14 billion (£8.72 billion) in annual service revenues.”
It was demonstrated that the market in North America and the Asia Pacific region accounted for 95 per cent of handsets shipped during 2012, with an increasing number of consumers expected to use LTE USB-Dongles in the near future.
ABI Research explained shipment numbers for LTE-enabled handsets received a notable lift last year thanks to the success enjoyed by Apple’s iPhone 5 and Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones .
