Global smartphone sales continued to increase this summer despite the global economic slowdown, according to new figures from the market research firm IDC.

A total of 43.3 million smartphones were shipped worldwide during the third quarter of 2009, up 3.2% from the second quarter, and 4.2% from the corresponding period a year earlier.

“Demand for converged mobile devices has remained strong all year,” commented IDC senior research analyst, Ramon Llamas. “These devices provide more utility and entertainment than traditional mobile phones. Moreover, users have plenty of devices from which to choose, whether it be a multimedia powerhouse, a messaging machine, or a social networking tool.”

Llamas predicted that “as users expect greater functionality from their devices beyond telephony … the converged mobile device market to grow faster than the overall mobile phone market.”