As there will be more than 100 mobile telecom carriers around the world to begin commercial operation of LTE (Long Term Evolution) services in 2012, Nokia, Sony Mobile Communications and China-based ZTE and Huawei Device will launch LTE handsets, and this is expected to intensify global market competition in 2012, according to industry sources in Taiwan.

Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and South Korea-based vendor Pantech together accounted for 68% of global sales of LTE handsets, mainly in the US and South Korea markets, in the fourth quarter of 2011, while Taiwan-based vendor HTC and Motorola Mobility shared 17% and 10% respectively, the sources cited Strategic Analytics statistics as indicating.

In 2012, mobile telecom carriers in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, North Europe and West Europe will begin to provide LTE services and this will generate increasing demand for LTE handsets, the sources indicated.

HTC, in addition to launch of LTE smartphones through cooperation with Verizon Wireless and AT&T in the US market, has launched LTE smartphone model, HTC Velocity 4G, in Australia, Hong Kong and Germany through partnership with local telecom carriers, the sources noted.

ZTE and Huawei may take the initiative to launch relatively inexpensive LTE handsets, the sources pointed out.