India to be in the top 5 markets for smartphone shipments: IDC

India and Brazil will enter the top 5 country markets for smartphone shipments, by the year 2016, says IDC in its forecast.

The Indian smartphone market will witness a gigantic growth, as carriers are expected to aggressively roll out 3G networks and data plans, while domestic vendors such as Micromax, Spice, Karbonn and Lava have already launched low-cost smartphones, to drive future demand as they seek to increase the value chain from low-cost feature phones.

The growth in the country, in the year 2011, was largely driven by top brands like Samsung and HTC, and international vendors will continue to invest further in local manufacturing in the coming years as Indian market emerges as a top priority for them.

''Demand for smartphones will also grow as urban and enterprise users mature in their handset preferences and usage. Consumers are growing accustomed to higher data usage and using handsets for entertainment and other content, instead of just as a communication device,'' said G Rajeev, senior market analyst for mobile devices with IDC India.

China will emerge as the leading market for smartphone shipments in the year 2012, surpassing the US. While mature markets like Japan, UK, and the US will continue to grow, but will not match up the growth rate of emerging markets. PRC smartphone shipments in China are expected to take a slim lead over the US in 2012, before the gap further increases in the coming years.

Users in emerging markets seek more than simple voice telephony, and smartphones offer the ideal platform for mobile entertainment, social networking, and business usage as seen in developed markets,'' said Ramon Lamas, senior research analyst, IDC mobile phone technology and trends team.

Brazil is witnessing a significant shift from feature phones to smartphones. The wireless teledensity of the country has exceeded the country's population, and smartphone prices have dropped to less than $300.