Washington, Feb 18 : At least 1.2 billion smartphones were sold in the year 2014, according to analysts at Germany-based Gfk.

According to Tech Crunch, analysts say that in 2014 there were 1.2 billion smartphones sold, up 23 percent on the year before and crossing the billion-unit point for the first time.

However, it has been predicted that in 2015, the sales will go down to 14 percent growth, resulting in overall sales of 1.368 billion devices.

The reason for the high sales has been attributed to emerging markets where smartphone adoption is still at an early stage; and among consumers flocking to buying newer models with larger screens, the report said. (ANI)