A recent research study showed that the inclusion of "3D features" is the main focus for future smartphones in the market.

The research done by Jon Peddie Research (JPR), a research and consulting company for graphics and multimedia predicted that by the year 2015, 80% of smartphones will have stereo 3D cameras and screens. The company predicted that the focus of smartphones would not be only on games but with the inclusion of two cameras that would utilize gesture based controls, advanced augmented reality applications, and visualization with depth. JPR also compared this new focus with what happened in cameras and GPS of smartphones today. According to the research, 3D features will become "mainstays" of future smartphones which means that it would become a requirement for all manufactured smartphones in the future. JPR also examined several mobile phones that utilizes advanced semiconductors or systems on a chip (SoC) and saw that the demand for mobile devices has grown considerably reaching a market for over 2 billion processors.

In order to support the demand for 3D, the processors that would be utilized should be "powerful" enough to support it. The future processors for this future were described as "truly amazing, consuming remarkably little power, built in the latest nanometer technology, and delivering unbelievable performance and functionality." JPR mentioned that no single device will be able to dominate other companies because each device that would be manufactured will differ from each other either in core function, form, and price. Each of these functions will be connected with each other.

Additional research findings include the following:

  • Over three quarters of a billion smartphones will ship in 2016
  • Feature and other phones will hit 869 million units in 2016
  • Almost 300 million tablets will ship in 2016
  • E-book readers shipments could reach 100 million a year by 2016
  • Handheld game consoles will hit 91 million by 2016

These research findings were done using a historical perspective which analyzed the growth of different devices that were the basis of some of the most advanced and successful devices in the market. One example for this would be the first tablet which was the GRiDPad. This was first seen in the year 1989. The evolution of the tablet then experienced considerable changes from Microsoft's "pen Computer" up to Apple's iPad.

Full details about this research study are detailed in the report entitled 2012 Mobile Devices and their Semiconductors Market Study.