By Anonymous No sooner has the market for consumer electronics devices incorporating Wi-Fi begun to gain real traction than another, based on high-speed connections via 3G cellular technologies or mobile WiMAX, is starting to take shape.

In 2011, shipments of dual-mode (cellular/voice over Wi-Fi) wireless handsets will be well in excess of 300 million worldwide, according to a new study from ABI Research. However the arrival of femtocell access points towards the end of the study's forecast period may prove disruptive for the market.

What is a smartphone? At ABI Research, the concept hinges around the operating system, which defines much of what a smartphone is and does.