The definition of a smartphone, according to PC Magazine, is as follows: “A cellular telephone with built-in applications and Internet access. Smartphones provide digital voice service as well as text messaging, e-mail, Web browsing, still and video cameras, MP3 player and video and TV viewing.” In addition to their built-in functions smartphones can run a variety of computer applications which makes them true computing devices. All of this functionality varies from smartphone to smartphone and to a large degree depends on the operating systems that run these devices. The leading smartphone operating systems, based on units currently in use, are (1) Apple’s iPhone OS, (2) RIM Blackberry OS, and (3) Google’s Android OS.

The market size listed here shows the number of smartphones sold worldwide in the third quarter of 2010. Smartphone sales in this quarter represented 19.3% of all mobile phone sales.

Geographic reference: World
Year: 3rd Quarter 2010
Market size: 80.5 million units
Source: “Gartner Says Worldwide Mobile Phone Sales Grew 35 Percent in Third Quarter 2010; Smartphone Sales Increased 96 Percent,” Gartner Newsroom press release dated November 10, 2010 and available online here.
Original source: Gartner Inc.