Why smartphone popular

Ownership is lowest in Venezuela, India and the Philippines, but even in these countries about seven-in-ten adults own a mobile device. Sharing tends to be more common among adults with lower levels of education. Across these 11 countries, mobile phone ownership as distinct from phone sharing tends to vary by several demographic traits, including educational attainment, gender and age. In all countries surveyed, adults with a secondary education or higher are more likely to own their own mobile phone than are those with less than a secondary education.

These educational gaps in ownership range from just 3 percentage points in Vietnam to 35 points in the Philippines. Majorities of both men and women own mobile phones in all of the countries surveyed. Outside of India — where men are 28 percentage points more likely than women to own a mobile phone — gender gaps in ownership in other countries are either relatively modest such as the 8-point differences in Kenya and Lebanon or nonexistent, as in the case of Vietnam and the Philippines.

Most of those ages 18 to 29 report owning their own mobile phone in almost all countries surveyed. A majority of those 50 and older also report owning a mobile phone in most of the 11 countries surveyed. Overall, younger people are more likely than older adults to own a phone in the Philippines 41 percentage points , Lebanon 27 points , India 25 points and Mexico 24 points.

For more on how phone ownership and use varies by age, gender or education levels, see Appendix C. Some general features and capabilities can help distinguish between the three broad types of mobile phones:. Respondents to this survey were asked a series of questions to determine the type of mobile device they own or share with someone else. Those who indicated that their phone is a smartphone are classified as smartphone users. Those who said their mobile phone can connect to the internet — but that it is not a smartphone — are categorized as feature phone users.

And those who said their phone is not a smartphone and cannot access the internet are considered to have a basic phone. Responses to each of these individual questions can be found in the topline and more information on the combined measures can be found in Appendix B.

Basic and feature phones are less popular overall, but some countries stand out for their high usage of these less digitally connected phones. But feature phones — which offer some of the same features as smartphones, but typically cannot support apps — are popular in Mexico, where one-third of adults say they use this type of device.

Younger adults lead the way in smartphone use in each of the countries surveyed. Across all 11 countries, those under 30 are much more likely to use a smartphone than those ages 50 and older. Lebanon and Jordan — where smartphones are widespread — stand out for being the only countries where a majority of adults ages 50 and older also report using smartphones. Still, older Lebanese and Jordanian adults are far less likely than their younger counterparts to use a smartphone.

People with higher levels of education are also more likely to use smartphones. Published by S. O'Dea , Sep 10, Smartphones: a rapid integration with everyday life The smartphone industry has been steadily developing and growing since then, both in market size, as well as in models and suppliers. Smartphone shipments worldwide are projected to add up to around 1. By the end of , With many people using more than one smartphone, the actual number of smartphone subscriptions is much higher.

As of , smartphone users are using an estimated 6. Apple and Samsung lead a competitive field In the fourth quarter of , Apple regained the crown of leading smartphone vendor based on shipments, with Samsung held a The back and forth between Apple and Samsung is typical at the top end of the market, but the fight for the remaining places among the top five vendors is hotly contested.

Huawei once had a solid hold on this position, even leading the market for a time, but trade restrictions have taken a heavy toll on the Chinese smartphone manufacturer.

Ongoing dominance is never guaranteed While the market has two fairly consistent leaders, Until the first quarter of , Nokia was the leading smartphone vendor worldwide with a 24 percent market share.

A diminished Nokia was once hard to imagine, but a failure to keep ahead of those that were innovating and changing the face of the smartphone market saw the company left behind. Some studies find that in developing countries every ten extra mobile phones per people increase the rate of growth of GDP-per-person by more than one percentage point--by, say, drawing people into the banking system.

Smartphones will remake entire industries, at unheard-of speed. Uber is a household name, operating in 55 countries, but has yet to celebrate its fifth birthday. WhatsApp was founded in , and already handles 10 billion more messages a day than the SMS global text-messaging system. The phone is a platform, so startups can cheaply create an app to test an idea--and then rapidly go global if people like it.

That is why it will unleash creativity on a planetary scale. By their nature, seminal technologies ask hard questions of society, especially as people adapt to them. Smartphones are no different.

If citizens aren't protected from prying eyes, some will suffer and others turn their backs. Societies will have to develop new norms and companies learn how to balance privacy and profit. Governments will have to define what is acceptable.

But in eight short years smartphones have changed the world--and they have hardly begun. Click here to subscribe to The Economist. This article was from The Economist and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. For you. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation.

And that is why consumers are so confused as to which cell phone suits their needs best. Smartphones are one of the most commonly known and used devices as of now. After reading this article we hope that all your doubts are cleared and you know now, when did smartphones become popular. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

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