“The number of smartphones in use globally crossed 1 billion for the first time in the third quarter and will double by 2015, after the introduction of Apple Inc.’s iPhone fueled demand, according to Strategy Analytics,” Jun Yang reports for Bloomberg.

“The number reached 1.038 billion in the three-month period, a 47 percent increase from a year earlier, the Boston-based industry researcher said in a statement toda,” Yang reports. “That translates into one in every seven people worldwide owning a handheld device that works like a computer, according to the statement.”

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Yang reports, “The industry’s expansion accelerated on the popularity of the iPhone, Strategy Analytics said. As smartphone use spreads to emerging markets, it probably will take less than three years for another billion devices to be added, the researcher said.”

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