The biggest smartphone markets in the world
Smartphones will account for two out of every three mobile connections globally by 2020, according to a new report by GSMA Intelligence.
In the study, titled Smartphone forecasts and assumptions 2007-2020, the group found that smartphones account for one in three mobile connections today, representing more than two billion mobile connections.
This figure will grow three-fold over the next six years, according to the GSMA, reaching six billion by 2020 – accounting for two-thirds of the nine billion mobile connections by that time.
Basic phones, feature phones, and data terminals such as tablets, dongles, and routers will account for the remaining connections. The study excluded M2M from the connections totals.
“The smartphone has sparked a wave of global innovation that has brought new services to millions and efficiencies to businesses of every type,” said Hyunmi Yang, Chief Strategy Officer at the GSMA.
“Smartphones will be the driving force of mobile industry growth over the next six years, with one billion new smartphone connections expected over the next 18 months alone.”
According to the GSMA, there are over 7.1 billion mobile connections in the world, across over 3.6 billion unique mobile subscribers.
South Africa is considered to be a “Fast Grower” market, with 4 operators and 70.4 million mobile connections.
Emerging markets lead
Notably, the GSMA reports that the developing world accounts for two in every three smartphones on the planet – far outnumbering connections in the developed world.
The GSMA predicts that by 2020, four out of every five smartphone connections worldwide will come from the developing world.
The Asia-Pacific region accounts for about half of all global smartphone connections, even though smartphone penetration in the region is currently calculated at below 40%.
The Asia Pacific total is boosted by the inclusion of China, the world’s largest smartphone market, with more than 692 million smartphone connections.
The world’s biggest smartphone markets
| # | Country | Smartphone connections (millions) |
| 1 | China | 692.2 |
| 2 | USA | 196.8 |
| 3 | Brazil | 141.8 |
| 4 | India | 111.0 |
| 5 | Indonesia | 95.0 |
| 6 | Russia | 83.9 |
| 7 | Japan | 66.1 |
| 8 | Germany | 48.5 |
| 9 | UK | 45.4 |
| 10 | France | 43.5 |
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