During the last six years, smartphones have developed into one of the most lucrative segments of the mobile phone industry. Shipment volumes have increased dramatically, and so has the number of competing vendors, operating systems and consumer applications. Smartphones are expected to become one of the main internet access channels within the next few years. Their platform openness makes it possible for consumers to use third party services that bypass the operators’ service and billing platforms. This is just one of the reasons why even operators with no own device strategy or service development must consider the impact of smartphones on their business.