"The 2008 to 2012 CAGR for converged mobile phones is anticipated to reach 10.1 per cent, compared to the 3.3 per cent for traditional mobile phones," said Chua. "The declining Average Selling Value (ASV) price of converged mobile phones will help to drive the adoption rate of converged phones among mobile subscribers."

Chua said that the recent nationwide implementation of Mobile Number Portability (MNP), which allows mobile users to take their number to a new provider, would provide mobile phone and handheld vendors with a new platform to market their products.

"The partnership between mobile vendors and mobile operators is inevitable since mobile operators are expected to bundle converged devices together with their voice packages to encourage mobile subscriber loyalty to their mobile network, similar to those offered in Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore," he said.