Global smartphone shipments jumped over 38 per cent last year to clock a record volume of 1 billion, boosted by strong demand for low-priced devices in emerging countries like India and China.

According to latest data from research firm IDC, worldwide vendors shipped a total of 1,004.2 million smartphones in 2013, up 38.4 per cent from 725.3 million units in 2012.

In the fourth quarter alone, vendors shipped a total of 284.4 million smartphones globally, up 24.2 per cent from the 229 million units shipped in the fourth quarter of 2012.

“Worldwide smartphone market reached yet another milestone, having shipped one billion units in a single year for the first time,” the firm said.

Smartphones accounted for 55.1 per cent of total mobile phone shipments in 2013, up from the 41.7 per cent in 2012.

Among the top trends driving smartphone growth are large screen devices and low cost, IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker Programme Director Ryan Reith said.

“Of the two, I have to say that low cost is the key difference maker. Cheap devices are not the attractive segment that normally grabs headlines, but IDC data shows this is the portion of the market that is driving volume,” he added.

Reith said markets like China and India are quickly moving toward a point where sub-$150 smartphones are the majority of shipments, bringing a solid computing experience to the hands of many.

“The sheer volume and strong growth attest to the smartphone’s continued popularity in 2013,” IDC Mobile Phone Team Research Manager Ramon Llamas said.

Total smartphone shipments reached 494.4 million units worldwide in 2011 and doubling that volume in just two years demonstrates strong end-user demand and vendor strategies to highlight smartphones, he added.

In the smartphone market globally, Samsung led the tally followed by Apple, Huawei, Lenovo and LG.

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