By 2013, 62.3 million smartphones will be in North America alone. Technology research firm In-Stat projects that smartphone sales will grow strongly over the next five years, accounting for 20% of all handsets globally by 2013 compared to 10% today.

The iPhone reigns supreme for now, while In-Stat predicts that phones powered by open mobile operating systems like Android will surpass the iPhone over the next few years. “Google and its partners have the potential to aggressively enter the smartphone segment of the market by creating a development environment that is to be the most convenient for mobile applications development,” the In-Stat report said. “This will lead to even greater interest in the smartphone market segment.” Today, 36% of US mobile phone subscribers have a smartphone. One third of remaining mobile phone users looking to switch to a smartphone the next time they update their handset.

If current trends stick, where today 9.1 million Linux-based phones are in operation to the 16.2 million iPhones, by 2013, the ratio could be 68.1 million to 33.4 million respectively. The study also indicated that demand for the iPhone will be diluted by the host of imitators it has inspired, including the Samsung Instinct, the BlackBerry Storm, the G1, and the Nokia N97. For Google, the biggest question is whether China mandates the use of a smartphone platform such as Android for 3G licenses that the government plans to offer soon. Outside of Japan, smartphone sales are expected to increase 26% annually throughout Asia over the next five years. So much for my Grandparents only wanting a phone “that makes phone calls.”

[via MediaPost]