Future of Full-Feature Phones.

According to In-Stat/MDR, 18.2 million camera phones were shipped worldwide in 2002. In the first quarter of this year, 7.8 million camera phones made their way around the world, while 1.7 million smart phones were shipped in Q1 2003.

In-Stat notes that uptake of smart phones has not been widespread, as they have faced a number of technical glitches and are still perceived as being for mobile professionals only. Furthermore, as noted in a CNET article on Tuesday, camera phones are an easier sell than smart phones thanks to their “fun” factor. Plus, camera phones are cheaper.

Nonetheless, In-Stat anticipates strong growth for both smart and camera phones over the coming years through 2007, at which time there should be little difference between the two types of phones. In-Stat projects a CAGR of 94.5% for smart phones through 2007 and a CAGR of 53.2% for camera phones over the same time period.

ARC Group also projects strong growth for camera phones over the coming years, estimating that 55 million will be sold worldwide this year and 210 million will be sold in 2008.