According to Juniper Research, the topmost prediction for the mobile and wireless industry for the year 2012 is that the recession is likely to hit smart devices sales. Given the extent to which smartphones have already become a near "must-have" device, the impact here will be less significant than for tablets, where it may well reduce the extent to which these devices penetrate the wider market, notably across Western Europe. The effect will be most acutely felt in the premium tablet sector, where net device sales could plateau or even decline, the research firm adds.
According to Juniper Research, other predictions for the coming year are: London 2012 to boost mobile advertising and m-gambling, and kickstart NFC; mobile coupons to drive mCommerce market despite economic stagnation; 2012 – the year of the quad-core processor, Windows 8 OS to fuel Nokia revival and disrupt tablet market, 2012 to see high profile malware attacks on mobile devices; MEMs accelerometers and gyroscopes to transform sensor market for mobile devices; social gaming to become a major mobile play with introduction of synchronous gaming; online, mobile and physical will begin to fuse into one retail market; and cloud mobility to drive collaborative communication.
