Increased demand for smartphones in recessionary markets seems likely

Is there some strange connection between recessionary economies and an increase in demand for smartphones? Well, one could argue that there is indeed such a connection when taking the case of Japan. Japan has been in a recession for years, yet the demand for smart mobile devices has continued to increase, as Japanese have lusted for the next ’smart’ device.

Japanese love their smartphones and are known for intensely using them to do pretty much everything - from regularly accessing the internet to making purchases and even buying their train tickets. There are even phones that have built-in mirror screens so you’ll never have to search for a mirror again to check out your face! 

In light of Japan’s trend of an increased demand for smartphones during recession, I take a look at the US economy today, which seems on the verge of a recession. Simultaneously, more than ever Americans are demanding that their phone be a smartphone, just like their Japanese counterparts. 

2008 clearly has been a major ‘coming-out’ party for smartphones in the US and they have exploded onto the scene in new and exciting ways that were unimaginable to most of us at this time last year. Now, in the 4th quarter, we are days away from many great devices that will be coming out including:

G1 Android phone

RIM BlackBerry’s Bold, Pearl Flip, Thunder, & Storm

Nokia Tube

and possibly one other Android based device.

And this is after the much-anticipated Palm Treo Pro and Apple iPhone 3G successful launches earlier this year. So, it turns out that recession can be a good thing after all, at least for the smartphone industry.