There'll be 29 million smartphone users making video calls by 2015, according to a report from Juniper Research. However, that still leaves at least 90% of smartphone users sticking exclusively to conventional calls.
The company's smartphones report also reckons that the value of global smartphone device shipments will reach $94 billion in 2015, with functionality associated with today’s smartphones - such as app store connectivity and touchscreens - present in over 84% of handsets shipped in the US by then.
Anthony Cox, Senior Analyst at Juniper Research, said "The use of video calling has had several false dawns and has remained flat in recent years. We forecast that there will be 29 million smartphone video users in 2015, but the market may be held back by a lack of interoperability between different devices. In the longer term the growth of WiFi and 3G in developing markets may make video calling an attractive option for international calls for those working and living away from their families."
Video calling over 3G was introduced to the UK in 2003 by the Three network.