The nation likely shipped 6.2 million smart handheld devices in the fourth quarter, up 81.7 percent on last year partly because it produces Apple's iPhone, a consulting firm said yesterday.
The nation is also expected to ship a similar amount of the devices over the first three months of next year, which would be more than 150 percent up on the same period this year, the Market Intelligence Center said in its forecast.
"This growth is being driven by several factors, one being the introduction of several new mass-produced models by High Tech Computer Corp (
"Another factor is the rise in procurements by North American and European operators to satisfy traditional peak season demand in the fourth quarter," it said.
It added that new Palm and HP models had also been outsourced to Taiwanese manufacturers, boosting figures.
Taiwan shipped 4.9 million smart handheld devices in the third quarter of this year, up 83.5 percent year-on-year, the center said.
Shipment value over the period broke the US$1 billion mark for the first time to US$1.46 billion, it said.
"Major growth momentum for the Taiwanese smart handheld device industry in the third quarter came from increased contract production of the Apple iPhone," it said.
There was still significant room for shipment growth because the iPhone has yet to be released in Asia, the consultancy said.
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