Smartphones with high-speed LTE connectivity are still in the minority of devices currently in use, but probably won’t be the case for long. Per Digitimes, the Taiwanese Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute research firm is projecting that LTE smartphones will total 586 million in 2016, more than nine times the 64 million smartphones projected to ship in 2012. It seems that 2013 will be the real tipping point for LTE smartphones as shipments are expected to nearly triple to 188 million units next year, the highest year-over-year percentage increase in MIC’s projections. Verizon Wireless and AT&T are currently the only major U.S. carriers to offer LTE services, although Sprint is due to launch its LTE network in five cities this month and T-Mobile is slated to start offering its own LTE services in 2013.
