RCR Wireless News recently collaborated with IT market research consultants at the Yankee Group to survey the former's readers about their expectations of wireless software and hardware by the year 2010.

The results? Only 27 percent of the 453 respondents believed that touchscreen devices would dominate the market by 2010. Almost as many (23 percent) expect that the QWERTY/touchscreen hybrid will outnumber touchscreen-only designs.

The report contains other interesting bits of data on data plans and GPS functionality. Read it at: http://www.rcrwireless.com/article/20080829/WIRELESS/808299987/1078/newsletter34

The results of the RCR Wireless News/Yankee Group study are reflected in those of our own Survey of User Needs. In our survey only 6 percent of 1300+ respondents (all with some type of disability) listed touchscreen as one of their five most important features in a wireless device.

These survey data were collected from April 2007 through June 2008, before the release of so many new touchscreen handsets. The RCR Wireless News/Yankee Group data were collected in the recent period, well into this period.

Notably, 55 percent of our survey respondents identified "simple operation" as one of their five most important features, while 48 percent identified "controls easy to manipulate" as important.

What's your view? Will touchscreens dominate? Would you want such a device? Is it preferable to have a touchscreen/QWERTY hybrid device?