Global sales of mobile phones dropped 12.6 percent in the last quarter of 2008, compared to the same period in 2007, according to recent IDC report.

Overall for the year, sales were up only 3.5 percent over 2007. But, sales within the mobile sector indicate that smartphones are increasingly gaining ground.

For 2008, sales of the "converged mobile devices" grew 22.5 percent compared to units sold in 2007. Growth was even more pronounced in the North American and Europe/Middle East/Asia markets.

Several studies indicate that smartphone sales will continue to gain marketshare within the mobile sector, even as the overall economic slowdown has prompted conservative projections for 2009 mobile device sales.