Next year is the year for showdown in the smartphone market.”

Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics decided to accelerate their approach to the smartphone market.

They will expand the lineup and increase the proportion of smartphone in the output according to the growth of the market.

Therefore, in the smartphone market, Nokia, Samsung and LG as well as RIM, Apple and Google will compete against each other for the leadership in the market.

On November 27, the both companies said that they will enhance the smartphone business and currently are preparing the detail of strategies for the goal.

Samsung Electronics released 20 models of smartphone to lay the foundation for the business.

Next year, it will roll out 30 models. And it will increase the proportion of smart phone within the next 2-3 years according to the growth of the global market.

Particularly, it will focus on the Windows Mobile for the operating system of its smartphone but include other operating systems like Symbian, Android and LiMo.

This year, smartphones account for less than 10% in Samsung’s output. But, it will increase 30% in the output for North America and Europe in 2011.

An insider of Samsung Electronics said, “In North America, Blackjack I and II surpassed 1 million units each, enhancing our competitiveness.

That we selected Omnia as our strategic model represents our commitment to smartphones.”

LG Electronics will also accelerate its approach to the smartphone market in the next year.

An insider of LG Electronics said, “Next year, we will release 3 models in every quarter to 12 models in a year. Also, we will increase the proportion of smartphones to 30%.”

LG Electronics plans to combine the full touch feature and the design that its mobile phone showed comeptitiveness with smartphone in order to offer more familiar models to customers in North America, Europe and Asia.

An industry insider said, “(Although Apple and Google are showing strong footprint in the smartphone market,) the global smartphone market will be in fierce competition if Samsung and LG show strong competitiveness in meeting the special needs of mobile carriers.”

Meanwhile, the smartphone market is now expanding from the business customers to the general customers on a rapid upward trend. This year, it was estimated at 210 million units.

But, it is predicted to grow 460 million units in 2012. Nokia accounts for more than a half of the market with its N and I series based on the S60 operating system.

Apple’s iPhone, RIM’s Blackberry and Google’s Google Phone joined the fierce competition.

Source:etnews