Apple Inc. will own 40% of the smartphone market by the year 2013 and could sell as many as 77 million iPhone handsets that year, according to a report released Wednesday by Generator Research. The research firm said that Apple is better positioned to weather the current economic downturn, and can use its strengths to take market share away from competitors.

In the report, Generator Research noted that Apple holds more than $25 billion in reserves, and enjoys 33% gross margins on the iPhone. In addition, the firm said that the iPhone about to enter its fastest-growth phase yet, and that Apple, "resources, competencies and motivation to invest in the mobile sector just at the time when the economic climate is forcing many established players in the mobile industry to cut back on product development."

According to the report, Nokia could take the biggest hit in market share. Nokia, whose Symbian operating system holds the lion's share of the worldwide market in smartphones, could see its share fall from 40% in 2008 to 20% in 2013.  The firm said that Apple's gains would also have a "substantial" impact on other players in the market.

“We think that Apple will use its financial strength and revenue velocity to try to get one or more design cycles ahead of the competition. The result could see Apple shipping as many as 77 million iPhones in calendar 2013. By that time the iPhone will include a range of different models, each addressing different market segments and the App Store will have developed to the point where third party developers have access to network assets that will allow them to write programs that can send messages and establish voice calls between different iPhones,”Andrew Sheehy, head of research at Generator Research, said in a statement.

77 million iPhones sold in one year by 2013 is currently at the far end of sales estimates for Apple, and much of the current analytical thought has recently been focused more on the short term and the current economic woes of the globe.

Bryan Chaffin contributed to this article.