StealthNET Ltd

There has been a 25 per cent increase in people buying smartphones, according to new research by ABI.

The figures show that a quarter more people bought the new generation of mobile at the end of last year than in the rest of the year.

This may lead to more opportunities for businesses to expand their mobile marketing campaigns as more consumers will be able to access targeted campaigns.

It has been suggested by industry experts that the cause for the sudden uptake of smartphones has been due to cuts in handset price.

Anthony Keyworth, director of product marketing for Orange UK, which is undergoing a merger with T-Mobile, said: "The latest smartphones running on Android and iPhone and touchscreens make interaction much easier."

Communication is the key for smartphones and the opportunity to download countless applications, or apps, could be a key market area for businesses.

In addition to this, smartphones allow users to access the internet easier. Research from ComScore revealed that 30.8 per cent of users accessed social networking sites via their smartphones in January alone.