Vast majority of contracts and a third of pre-pay sales are now for full touch devices, according to researchers GfK
Almost 90 per cent of contracts signed for handset-inclusive deals are for touchscreen-only phones according to market research firm GfK, up from two thirds in 2011.
In the pre-pay market touchscreen devices have also had a boost as prices begin to fall with the devices now accounting for around a third of pre-pay sales.
The GfK market report attributes the growth partly to the software available on the devices and the consumer appeal of the apps available.
GfK account executive Hussein Elsheibani said: “Throughout 2012, touchscreen-only phones in this category (contract market) have established clear dominance in the market, driven by the success of high end models. It is not only the touchscreen hardware, but also the software that comes with it that appeals to consumers.
“The touchscreen enables the consumer to use their handset for multiple purposes with the amount of applications being developed increasing immensely. This combination of a quality touchscreen and applications has been key to the uptake of touchscreens and will be key to the continuation of the uptake in the consumer market.”