ABI Research says the number of smartphone applications downloaded from 'app stores' will keep growing until 2013… but those figures will then start to drop.

Last year, consumers downloaded 2.4 billion applications from application stores – a figure that'll almost treble by 2013, when almost 7 billion apps will be downloaded. Apple's App Store will remain the market leader until 2013 according to ABI's report, despite pressure from Android and Symbian. However, ABI Research says the evolution of the mobile internet will then lead to consumers starting to head away from dedicated stores for their software applications. Total app downloads will probably continue to grow, although downloads via app stores are expected to fall.

At Nokia's AGM today, company CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo told shareholders that Nokia had built a solid foundation for future success.

He said "By combining services with devices, Nokia is in a stronger position to grow and create more value for our shareholders. We still have plenty of work to do, but we have built a solid foundation. We believe in our strategy."

Mr Kallasvuo also said Nokia is planning to introduce a new generation of devices this year that he expects will help close the gap with high-end smartphone competitors.

Intel has announced a new version of its Atom processor for smartphones and tablet devices. Previously code-named Moorestown, the Intel Atom processor Z6xx (which contains 140 million transistors) is capable of delivering multitasking, full 1080p video playback, 720p HD video recording and 3D graphics with lower power consumption than previous designs. The company says this means up to 10 days of standby, up to 2 days of audio playback or 4 to 5 hours of browsing and video.

Processor speeds of up to 1.5GHz are supported for smartphones, with up to 1.9GHz for tablets.

Orange has revamped its mobile broadband service, changing its price plans and introducing the 'animal' branding used on its mobile phone services.

Dolphin costs from £15 a month and includes a 'happy hour' of unlimited surfing every day. Customers can pick 8am-9am, 12-1pm, 4pm-5pm or 10pm-11pm. The tariff includes 3GB of data per month on an 18-month minimum term contract or 2GB of data per month on a 1-month contract.

Panther Mobile Broadband starts at £25 a month for 10GB of data but offers 'unlimited' data for £35 a month on an 18-month contract. And Racoon starts at £5 a month for 500MB of data on an 18-month contract.