Computerworld reported new smartphone unit predictions for 2010. IDC’s forecasts:

• Mobile phone vendors will ship nearly 270 million smartphones in 2010
• 173.5 million smartphones shipped in 2009
• For the first half of 2010, vendors shipped 199.4 million smartphones, a 55.5% increase over the same period in 2009

Smartphone shipments will increase in 2011 by 24.5%

They also broke out market percentage predictions for the end of 2010 by operating system:

• Symbian (Nokia devices), will finish 2010 with 40% of the global market
• BlackBerry has 18%
• Android 16%
• Apple’s iPhone will have nearly 15%,
• Windows Phone 6.8%

IDC predicts that in 2014, Android will have almost 25% market share, Windows Phone will have almost 10% and the other major OSs will decline.

According to a report by Pyramid Research, Smartphones will capture 37% of the worldwide cell phone market by 2014. This is an increase of 16%in 2009.

• China will capture the No. 1 position in 2010
• Brazil will have a CAGR of 43% over the next five years
• India will have a CAGR of 39% over the next five years
• Turkey will have a CAGR of 37% over the next five years
• Nigeria will have a CAGR of 34% over the next five years
• Latin America will be the fastest growing region at a compound annual growth rate of 48%
• Africa and the Middle East will have a 39% CAGR

Pyramid also forecasts sales of 1.8 billion smartphones over the next five years

In-Stat has predicted that there will be:

• 412 million smartphones worldwide by 2014
• More than 250 million of these smartphones units will have accelerometers
• Symbian OS will be the dominant operating system, however their market share will be in decline

If you’re interested in learning how to develop for Symbian, you can get access to tools and help here.