Smartphone sales double in 2010

New figures from research firm GfK have found that shoppers spent more than $1.9 billion on smartphones during 2010, compared to $1.1 billion spent in 2009.

As reported by the Australian Financial Review, the figures show smartphones made up about half of all mobile sales during 2010, while in 2009 smartphones accounted for less than 20% of all phone sales.

The GFK figures also show the value of television sales dropped by 11% in 2010 despite a growing number of units actually sold, highlighting how rampant price declines are in the flat screen space.

Retail giants including Myer and Harvey Norman have been saying for months that the high Australian dollar and price deflation in flat screen televisions mean margins are eroding by the month.