Annual shipments of smartphones will surpass the one billion milestone by 2016, according to a new study.

Data released by Juniper Research indicates that while 302 million smartphones were produced in 2010, this figure will more than triple in five years' time.

Over this period, the devices will deploy a range of new technologies including biometrics and 3D, while they are also to integrate features – such as gamepads – from other appliances.

Handsets are to be offered at lower price points, due to the falling cost of components and the prevalence of open-source operating systems.

Daniel Ashdown, author of the report, states: "In developed markets, many consumers will want to upgrade from a feature phone to a smartphone, but still pay a feature phone price."

In January, Juniper Research forecast that global shipments of entry-level smartphones will reach 185 million by 2015.

The new Apple iPhone will be this year's most significant new smartphone.

Such is the assertion of Know Your Mobile features editor Richard Goodwin, who claims that the latest version of the handset "will obviously be the big, big release" for 2011.

But despite the anticipation of the model, he indicates that it is so far unclear about what the device will actually be.

Mr Goodwin states some people believe it will be a modified version of the Apple iPhone 4, meaning it will be a mid-range handset.

However, there are other market commentators that think it will be the iPhone 5, a device that will have "better spec, bigger screen, stuff like that".

The smartphone commentator adds that the Nokia Windows Phone 7 and the new Google Nexus are two of the other most anticipated models.

Recent research by Nielsen showed that the iPhone recorded the largest increase in smartphone sales in the US for the three-month period ending May 31st.

The burgeoning use of smartphones has resulted in more people using their mobiles to get online.

Such is the view of Rob Thurner, mobile consultant and digital trainer for the Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing (IDM), who states that the fact 28 per cent of internet browsing takes place via a smartphone "isn't that surprising".

Key to this trend, he indicates, has been the Apple iPhone. According to Mr Thurner, in 2008 consumers began to view the smartphone as not just a device to make and receive phone calls, but rather as a miniature computer.

"With faster processing power, bigger screens and touch screen, we are able to do things on our mobile that ordinarily we would have to wait to do when we were back on the PC," he claims.

The IDM official adds that the emergence of fixed-rate data plans in 2005 also encouraged more people to access the internet through their mobile phones, as they were no longer concerned that they would be charged a lot of money for browsing the web.

A recent study by the Pew Internet Project revealed 87 per cent of US smartphone owners regularly check their email using the device. 

Chinese smartphone manufacturer ZTE has revealed it is to start selling mobiles in the UK under its own name for the first time.

While the firm has already released a number of models in the market, these have been branded by various network operators such as Orange and 3.

However, this is now set to change with the ZTE Skate – which was named the Orange Monte Carlo upon its UK launch – among the smartphones people will have the chance to purchase. The device features a five-megapixel camera, microSD slot and 512MB of RAM.

As well as being unlocked and sim-free, the ZTE devices will be available to purchase from a number of online and high street outlets.

"ZTE made a commitment at the start of 2011 to alter its strategy from being a feature phone-centric supplier to producing much higher-end smartphones and delivering an enhanced user experience to the mass market," Wu Sa, director of mobile device operations for ZTE UK, claims.

Another of the firm's models to be released under its original name is the ZTE Blade. Last month, ZTE revealed that it had sold more than two million of the handsets throughout the world. 

Smartphone users looking to get their hands on the latest BlackBerry may only have to wait until next month to do so.

Online retailers have begun to list the BlackBerry Bold 9900 handset as available for purchase in mid-to-late August, a month earlier than its scheduled release date of September 15th.

If true, consumers will be able to enjoy the 2.8-inch touchscreen, 1.2GHz processor and 60 frames per second that comes with the phone sooner rather than later.

Measuring just 10.5mm thick, the device is clad in stainless steel and glass weave and offers the capability of playing HD video on the new BlackBerry operating system, the BlackBerry 7 OS.

The phone also comes with a five-megapixel camera and 8GB of memory.

A recent study by the Yankee Group revealed that around one-fifth of Europeans currently planning on getting a smartphone intend to get a BlackBerry.

British smartphone users tend to display a sense of loyalty in terms of buying a device that works with one particular operating system (OS) and then sticking with that same platform, according to new research.

Data released by Kantar Worldpane ComTech reveals that around three-quarters (74.3 per cent) of sales of Android devices come from people who have never owned a smartphone before, the Guardian reports.

In comparison, just 1.4 per cent of those choosing an Android OS handset for the first time are former iPhone customers.

Dominic Sunnebo, global consumer insight director for Kantar Worldpane ComTech, states: "We are yet to see any real signs of consumers switching between Android and Apple. Our data shows that Apple and Android's customers are intensely loyal when choosing their upgrade."

He adds that by switching to a different OS, people will find the apps they have bought for their original handset will be lost.

Mr Sunnebo goes on to claim that as around two-thirds of Brits with mobiles do not have a smartphone, there is significant opportunity for firms to attract new customers to these devices.

Recent research by the Yankee Group revealed that 19 per cent of Europeans who plan on buying a smartphone will look to get an Android device, while 17 per cent intended on purchasing a BlackBerry.