Fourth quarter sales of smartphones in 2009 showed "remarkable" smartphone shipment growth compared to the rest of the year, according to a recent report by ABI research.

Smartphones sales increased by 25 percent in 2009’s last quarter compared to the previous quarter. The third quarter only saw a small 3.6 percent boost from the second.

The report also noted that the iPhone maintained its dominance – with its best returns on record – during the quarter because of its so-called "cool factor," a perception among smartphone users that it is the most cutting-edge option available.

ABI analyst Michael Morgan says that the strong performances by iPhone have helped bolster the American reputation for having a strong consumer interest in smartphones despite a difficult economy.

"The robust strength of this market’s recovery is very encouraging indeed," says Morgan. "The United States is now the leading market for smartphone mindshare. Vendors view success there as a springboard to success in the rest of the world."

The successful results for Apple’s iPhone, however, may have been spoiled by a brewing patent lawsuit that has been leveled against the computer company. Apple Insider reported recently that a company called SmartPhone Technologies claims Apple’s iPhone infringed on six patents that it holds.

With an increasing number of smartphone users downloading wireless phone applications, new research shows that more are apt to pay a small fee for some of the services, causing experts to reassess the rising value of the app market.

The market for wireless phone applications will be worth $11 billion by 2014, according to a new study by the Yankee Group. Developments in the sales of smartphones also caused the research firm to change its prediction of $537 million in mobile app revenue in 2010 to almost twice that.

The new report says that Apple’s iPhone and AT&T have brought in the most revenue from wireless phone applications. But Yankee Group director Carl Howe says that new mobile operating systems offered by Google are giving gains to other telecoms.

"Apple’s innovative one-click technology and AT&T’s exclusive deal for the iPhone put them ahead for now," says Howe. "But strong results from T-Mobile suggest that Android will be the next breakout smartphone app platform."

The Yankee Group reassessment falls in line with other studies that predict booming sales of smartphones in the coming years. According to a recent Gartner study, smartphone sales will triple by 2012.

About 40 percent of BlackBerry users would rather have an Apple iPhone and one-third have their mind set on Google’s Nexus One as their next smartphone purchase, according to a recent study by Crowd Science.

The Crowd Science survey also found that users of Google’s smartphone rivaled iPhone users in terms of brand loyalty. Both groups registered at 90 percent for those who plan to continue with their current brand with their next phone purchase.

On the other hand, the study says only 32 percent of BlackBerry users plan to continue with the smartphone.

Crowd Science CEO John Martin says that the figures show deep dissatisfaction with BlackBerry that goes beyond simple jealousy of the attractive iPhone user interface.

"These results show that the restlessness of Blackberry users with their current brand hasn’t just been driven by the allure of [the] iPhone," says Martin.

The interest in smartphone upgrades falls in line with forecasts about the mobile marketing industry, a new sector consisting of advertising and social media business strategies directed at users of the mobile web.

A recent study by Juniper Research found that the the mobile marketing industry will exceed $12 billion in spending by 2014, much of it on coupon redemption programs and promotional wireless phone applications.

While a new 4G network may provide smartphones with quicker access to the mobile web, it may come with a price, according to experts.

Writing for Dow Jones Newsires, Roger Cheng recently claimed that while major telecoms are now trumpeting the abilities of 4G and that the new generation mobile network is being used as an excuse for executives to fiddle with the pricing of mobile internet use.

"The 4G hype machine already has pumped out promises of higher wireless downloading speeds," says Cheng. "More importantly, though, the progression to 4G from the currently used third-generation, or 3G, technology may allow the carriers to implement something for which they have long been angling: A tiered pricing structure that enables them to charge heavy data users more money."

Cheng says that recent 4G trials by Verizon Wireless that show high download rates misrepresent the reality of mobile web use because the tests were conducted in ideal conditions, with no one else accessing the network.

However, the increased speeds may be worth the price for most smartphone users who, according to a recent study by CareerBuilder, use wireless phone applications or check their email during meals, on vacation, and even while in the bathroom.

Smartphones users have accessed social networking websites through their mobile browsers 8.3 percent more than they did last year, according to recent research by comScore.

The study found that while 22.5 percent of smartphone users accessed a social networking site in January 2009, 30.8 percent of smartphone users have accessed web sites like Facebook and Twitter during the same month in 2010.

Researchers at comScore say that the results reflect an evolution in information accessibility through the mobile web.

"Social networking remains one of the most popular and fastest-growing behaviors on the mobile Web," said Mark Donovan, comScore senior vice president of mobile studies. "Social media is a natural sweet spot for mobile since mobile devices are at the center of how people communicate with their circle of friends, whether by phone, text, email, or, increasingly, accessing social networking sites via a mobile browser."

The study also found that the use of Facebook through a mobile network grew 112 percent in the past year. Twitter use on smartphones grew by 347 percent over the last year.

The findings reinforce the message of another recent report by Reuters that said increased use of smartphones for the mobile web is fueling a developing market for wireless phone applications and mobile advertising.

The mobile retail sector, comprised of advertising and promotional campaigns via smartphones, will exceed $12 billion in spending by 2014, according to a new report from Juniper Research.

The Juniper report says that mobile marketing expenditure now consists mainly of coupon redemption promotions, but with rising competition and increasing usage of smartphones, mobile marketers will spend more on mobile advertisements by 2013.

A spokesperson for a mobile marketing trade group said the findings fall in line with his organization’s hope and expectations for the future of the field.

"There is no doubt that mobile will become a fundamental part of retailers’ communication strategies," said Paul Berney, managing director of the Mobile Marketing Assocation. He said that new smartphone technology is "providing a key channel of engagement and interaction with customers both in store and beyond."

The report also mentions the use of so-called "live shopping," which allows smartphone users to find out through wireless phone applications what they can buy nearby and compare prices.

The amount of mobile shoppers will increase according to a recent Gartner study that shows smartphone sales outpacing that of PCs by 2012.

On a recent morning in Wilsonville, Ore., the theft of an iPhone was quickly resolved because the owner had purchased telephone tracking software, according to an article in The Oregonian.

The suspect, a 19-year-old named Ricky Tony George, was charged with second-degree theft and providing false information to a police officer, the report says.

The victim, Stephanie Davies, said she was shocked to have her smartphone stolen at the counter of her own business, but was relieved by the telephone tracking abilities that swiftly brought her iPhone back.

"I still feel a little silly," said Davies, who co-owns a financial services firm. "But I knew where my phone was within 45 minutes."

Police were able to pinpoint the location of the smartphone to a nearby Motel 6 with information retrieved from the telephone tracking service that Davies had bought to monitor the phone use of her children.

Similar mobile phone management services are also used by companies to increase employee productivity and to secure company-owned phones. According to a report by TechTarget, mobile phone management has become key to CIOs and IT managers who are looking to use company smartphones for more than just email.

As a growing numbers of internet users now use their smartphones instead of PCs to get on the web, media companies are studying how prone people are to pay for content when they are on the go, according to Reuters.

The report points to the success of app stores – online shops for wireless phone applications like fitness aids and dictation software – that sell their services for low costs but have gained billions from overall sales.

"Media companies longing to bring a paid-for culture to the internet might just get what they want if they pay more attention to the smartphone revolution that is changing the way people access the web," says Reuters analyst Georgina Prodhan. "They need consumers to rethink their presumption that web content must be free in order to fund the creation of high-quality news and entertainment."

The report cites research by Gartner that predicts the market will grow to $6.8 billion in 2010.

Another study by Gartner says that total sales of smartphones will triple to 491.9 million units in 2012 from 139.3 million in 2008, while the PC market will stay steady, expanding from 290.8 million units to 443.1 in this period.

Six new patent lawsuits are being leveled against Apple for the technology it uses in its popular i-Phone, according to recent news reports.

SmartPhone Technologies is seeking damages, expenses and costs from the iPhone producer for infringing on six of the company’s patents for email synchronization and Bluetooth connectivity, according to Apple Insider.

Also mentioned in the lawsuit are a slew of other smartphone producers and telecommunication companies, including LG, Motorola and AT&T, the article by Neil Hughes says. SmartPhone did not give details about how the companies infringed on its patent.

"SmartPhone did not specify damages, but requested a jury trial in the Eastern District of Texas, where patent lawsuits are often filed in hopes of a favorable outcome," writes Hughes. "It accuses Apple of violating six patents owned by the company covering a range of topics, including Bluetooth connectivity, e-mail syncing, bandwidth conservation and general smartphone functionality."

Apple, which told the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission last fall that it was then defending itself from more than 47 patent infringement cases, also accusing others of the same. According to CIO.com, Apple recently accused smartphone maker High Tech Computer of infringing on 20 patents regarding its iPhone hardware and interface.

A new smartphone produced by LG, one of the world’s largest electronics producers, will be their first to run Google’s Android platform, the company announced recently.

But, for now, the services will only extend to LG’s domestic market – South Korea.

Although, LG has said before that about half of the smartphones it sells in 2010 will be equipped with Android technology. The electronics company will also stay committed to selling smartphones powered by Microsoft’s Windows mobile platform, according to recent news reports.

Reporting for mobile tech news site FierceWireless, Phil Goldstein says that LG is trying to use the new smartphone capabilities to end up on top of the telecommunications market this year.

"LG has so far taken a backseat to competitors in the smartphone arena, but is aiming to make a major push on that front this year," says Goldstein.

Goldstein also says the company wants to command a double-digit smartphone market share by 2012.

With Android, the company may be hedging its best bet for increased sales, a recent study indicates.

According to Gartner research, Google’s Android system increased its market share from 0.5 percent in 2008 to 3.9 percent by the end of last year.

Smartphones use may become easier for the illiterate and disabled because of a new initiative from two foreign research organizations and one of the world’s largest computer companies.

IBM has partnered with the National Institute of Design in India as well as Tokyo’s Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology to identify the aspects of modern mobile technology that are inaccessible to the blind, deaf, illiterate and elderly and to create a user interface platform that is easier to use for disabled people, the company announced recently.

Researchers leading the project say that smartphones offer tools for increased self-determination and should be available to everyone.

"We believe the findings will help us offer affordable services to a large population, who are still deprived of access to key information sources," said Chieko Asakawa, chief technology officer of IBM’s accessibility research. "Through this collaborative research initiative, we will uncover real information accessibility requirements."

For some other segments of society, smartphones have offered increased to access information. A recent report in the Indianapolis Star states that inexpensive smartphone technology has resulted in the use of the internet amongst African-Americans to equal that of the white population.

Total sales of smartphones will increase to 491.9 million units by 2012, more than triple from the 139.3 million level reached in 2008, according to a Connecticut-based research firm.

To demonstrate the growing demand for smartphones at all levels, a recent article from Bloomberg News compared these numbers with the 443.1 million PC units projected for sale by 2012, to grow from the 2008 figure of 290.8 million.

The Bloomberg report cited Gartner research to make that claim and added that the demand for iPhones and Google’s Nexus One will fuel this growth.

Analysts told the business news providers smartphone sales have the trajectory to exceed that of more traditional phones in the upcoming years.

“Smartphones are headed towards that billion-unit category that handsets are in today,” said Jim McGregor, an analyst at In-Stat, based in Arizona. “The smartphone is the billion-unit pot of gold that everyone wants.”

Part of the reason for such growth is the increasing affordability of smartphones and cost saving solutions like mobile management, experts say. A recent report by iStockAnalyst says that smartphone pricing will become ultra-competitive this year.