Mobile entertainment trade body MEF has issued its predictions for the top ten mobile media trends in 2010.

It's proudly boasting of its success last year in flagging up the popularity of mobile apps and touchscreen handsets in 2009.

Few would have disagreed then, of course, so what's MEF predicting for next year?

1. Fragmentation and variance amongst handsets and now application stores will continue to plague the industry, however the growth of applications on the Android platform will close the gap on Apple’s App Store.

2. Operator enabling services will start to be widely deployed, facilitating the growth of rich media content that is simpler, faster and offers a better user experience.

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3. Media publishers will start to experiment with micro-payments, subscription service models and alternative payment methods which challenge the operators’ dominance, with Rupert Murdoch’s decision to charge for online media content highlighting an already fierce debate.

4. Books will emerge as a new and popular content category for smartphones.

5. Technology innovation will continue, with content developers experimenting with 3D mobile video viewers and augmented reality for mobile.

6. The emerging risk of illicit charging by in-app billing will be met by firm regulatory action.

7. Significant tightening of premium rate regulation in the Atlantic region will spread across the world.

8. 2010 will be the year of multiplatform dual-delivery of content including music, video and games, across mobile phones, TVs and PCs.

9. The growing consumer demand for data-heavy services will put greater pressure on networks, with flat rate data tariffs increasingly subjected to stringent download limits.

10. Complexity, confusion and ambiguity in the application of rights to the mobile platform will be addressed seriously in 2010.

You want more 2010 predictions? You got 'em! Check out the forecasts from Mobile Interactive Group and Telmap.