Deliveries of smartphones are expected to more than double in the next four years, a report indicates.Shipments of smartphones will rise 105 percent, to 506 million units, in 2014 from 246.9 million in 2010, a report scheduled for Monday release will show, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.That could mean big growth for smartphones like Apple's 4th generation iPhone, The Wall Street Journal reported.The report, by market tracker iSuppli Corp., said smartphones are the fastest-growing segment of the cellphone market."Because of this, companies that are exclusively focused on this area, like Apple, have managed to move up to near the top tier of the global cellphone business," iSuppli analyst Tina Teng said in a statement. "This shows that the smartphone is reshaping the competitive landscape of the wireless business."Apple, expected to unveil its next generation iPhone Monday, shipped 8.8 million iPhones in the first quarter, ranking No. 6 in the global cellphone market, iSuppli said.Sleeker, cheaper smartphones have found an eager customer base among U.S. women, industry researchers said.In 2007, sales of smartphones to women more than doubled, reaching 10.4 million, Nielsen Mobile, an industry tracking group said.Sales of Apple's iPhone have matched that trend. "You are not seen as a geek anymore if you have a smartphone," Carolina Milanesi, research director at Gartner Group, told the Times. "Women, including wives and mothers, need to keep track of their busy lives, too."Smartphones start as low as $99 and industry research shows that women are more likely than men to choose the family's wireless products. They are also more budget conscious and concerned about design.But Smartphone makers playing to more feminine concerns could miss the point, Milanesi said."Companies need to be careful to not think that to sell smartphones they just need to be pink," she told the Times. "There are other things women want."
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