Mobile phones are the fastest-growing consumer product category ever. In 2008, sales of 1.2 billion devices generated an astounding $150 billion in revenues. But mobile device vendors and other players in the market will need to find new opportunities in the coming years to remain competitive, argues WiseHarbor analyst Keith Mallinson. Indeed, new whiz-bang technologies such as HSPA+, MIMO and LTE are not sufficient to prop up revenues threatened by sluggish replacement cycles and price competition, he notes. Thus, incumbents need to diversify if they are to deliver growth in the latter half of the decade, following the current bonanza in smartphones and mobile broadband devices. Commentary
