At least somebody has something to look forward to this year.  Garter expects with the new smartphones coming out of various manufacturers, sales of smartphones will jump 28% this year, despite an overall contraction of the cellphone market.  I imagine given the tight economy, people who just want a basic cellphone are sticking with the ones they have (like my parents).  However, as alternatives to the iPhone come out, it’s always nice to splurge a couple hundred dollars on yourself, even during these tough times.  I imagine, also, that as people replace their cellphones, a good many of them will be upgrading to smartphones.  With the exception of the cost of the handset, the cost of service isn’t that different and with a smartphone, customers really get a noticeable boost in the capability that makes up for the increased cost.  Here’s a link to the Washington Post article with more details.