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Worldwide smartphone sales to push 1B in 2013, analysts say

GFK reckons the number of smartphones expected to occupy shoppers' pockets is up 37 percent on last year.

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Luke Westaway is a senior editor at CNET and writer/ presenter of Adventures in Tech, a thrilling gadget show produced in our London office. Luke's focus is on keeping you in the loop with a mix of video, features, expert opinion and analysis.
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BERLIN -- Smartphone sales in 2013 will come close to hitting the billion mark, according to the latest figures from analyst firm GFK.

Describing the state of the market at the opening of the IFA tech trade show in Berlin, Hans-Joachim Kamp, a chairman of the consumer tech group GFU, said that 937 million smartphones are expected to be sold during this year.

That will, he said, be an increase of 37 percent on 2012, lending credence to what every gadget fan knows: smartphones are big business.

Other areas of tech are doing well, too; 2013 could see 59 million 3D TVs sold, which would be an increase of 104 percent on last year. And 215 million tablets are expected to find their way into shoppers' homes, an anticipated increase of 69 percent. The figures are calculated based on estimates and reports from retailers.

This week sees tech-makers like Samsung, Sony, and Panasonic converge on Berlin's IFA show to tout their latest wares. CNET is on hand to bring you all the latest news as it happens, so click here for more news, hands-on video, and tonnes of photos.