Wow ! What a cool range of colors.

Nokia N73 In Blooming Colors

Source: Darla Mack: Nokia N73 In Blooming Colors

There are quite a few reasons why I believe Smart Phones are the future. And here are few stats that shows how smartphone market is growing.  Also, These days almost every phone shipped has atleast a camera and MP3 player on them.  

Global shipments of all smart mobile devices rose 30% YTY in Q4 2006 to hit 22 mln. 18 mln were smart phones, 2.5 mln wireless handhelds and 1.5 mln handhelds. Total smart mobile device shipments for 2006 were 77 mln, of which 64 mln were smart phones. Nokia remains market leader in Q4, accounting for 50% of all shipments. RIM returns to second place, with device shipments rising 54% YTY in the quarter. Sony Ericsson gets back into top five for the first time since early 2004. Combined shipments of smart phones and wireless handhelds (”converged devices”) were up 42%. But handheld shipments fell 41% compared to Q4 2005.

Source: » Smartphone shipments up 30% in Q4 2006 | IT Facts | ZDNet.com

And Consumers in America are more likely to look for more features in a cell phone. Some Interesting facts..

In the US, 16% of mobile phone users have handsets with 3G technology, but only 10% of those users make use of the 3G functionality. Globally, 20% of consumers have 3G capabilities, with only 9% of users taking advantage of the enhanced service. TNS Global Technology Insights reports that US consumers, when compared to consumers around the world, are more likely to look for mobile phones with features such as a still camera (42% versus 35%), mobile Internet (19% versus 12%), email (22% versus 12%), and mobile gaming (13% versus 7%) when making their next phone purchase. Generally, 40 to 50% of US consumers who use mobile TV, electronic banking, on-line gaming, location services and subscription services use them daily. This compares to 20 to 25% daily usage for the rest of the world.

Source: > > IT Facts