Feature phones comprised over 75% of the handset market in 2010, as many consumers continue to purchase less-expensive feature phones for a variety of reasons including the need for a device that is optimised for a specific application, such as messaging, according to ABI Research.
ABI Research senior analyst Victoria Fodale said a messaging phone is a feature phone that has been enhanced for messaging services including SMS, MMS, mobile email, and mobile IM.
"These devices have a QWERTY keyboard and other capabilities at a price that is usually more affordable than a smartphone," Fodale said.
"Mobile phones for messaging will encompass an increasing percentage of feature phone shipments, growing to almost a third of the category by 2015."
The research firm said that the mobile phones optimised for messaging are targeted to specific markets including consumers in developing regions who need affordable offerings for messaging and mobile Internet services.
In addition, in the developing regions of Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, access to mobile broadband often outstrips fixed-line broadband access; and as many users in those regions, their only Internet experience may be via a mobile phone.
The report revealed that extending the mobile Internet to feature phone users where connectivity is costly and slow is a growing trend.
Facebook launched a mobile app to extend its reach to feature phones.
The Facebook for Feature Phones app works on more than 2,500 mobile devices from Nokia, Sony Ericsson, LG and other OEMs.
