Sales of smartphones will grow because those who prefer to carry a single mobile device instead of multiple devices are willing to put up with sacrifices, a survey released Thursday by JupiterResearch says.

The survey found that 62% of respondents would prefer to carry a single device, even if it means sacrificing functionality.
Such sacrifices could include size, less battery life or features that are less powerful than those than devices, such as traditional mobile phones, that are dedicated to a single task.

However, nearly three-quarters of the respondents said that the primary function of even a converged device like a Smartphone is as a telephone.
The study concluded from that that is the one area that vendors shouldn't sacrifice as they converge various functions.
"The key is understanding what features are important to consumers in a given context and delivering them while being careful not compromise on the key mobile feature, telephony," Michael Gartenberg, a JupiterResearch vice president, said in a statement.

The findings led the research firm to predict that smartphones will account for 9.3% of all handset sales in 2009, compared to 3.7% in 2004.

Source: Internet Week