Some experts predict the Apple iPhone sales will account for 2 million of a total 20 million smartphones sold this year.

Some experts are predicting that Apple's iPhone will account for a 10 percent share of total smartphone sales in the United States by the end of 2007.

Apple iPhone will account for a 10 percent share of total smartphone sales in the United States by the end of 2007. So says the latest prediction by Strategy Analytics. A "smartphone" is defined as any data-centric mobile phone with a multi-tasking operating-system.

Neil Mawston, Associate Director at Strategy Analytics said 20 million smartphones will be sold in the USA during 2007. "We expect Apple and its iPhone portfolio to account for 2 million of that total, giving it a 10 percent share by the end of the year."

Chris Ambrosio, Director of Wireless Device Strategies at Strategy Analytics, commented, “Apple has a strong brand and good retail presence; now it needs to deliver on the product. Competitive pricing, of course, will be critical, as will the device’s usability and reliability.”

A critical question will be what percentage of iPhone buyers will be churning from other operators? A second key issue is whether the iPhone will draw users who would otherwise have bought Nokia N series music and multimedia devices, eroding their premium tier share, or will iPhone most dramatically impact the SEMC Walkman series fortunes? The pressure is on Apple to deliver a great mobile media experience with the iPhone when it is launched on June 29, 2007. Its previous entry, with the Motorola Rokr music phone, in 2005, was a flop, and the industry will be watching carefully to see how much Apple has learned from that failure.