Over 1 billion smartphones in use worldwide: Report

Clearly, smartphone adoption has come a long way. The findings of the latest research from Strategy Analytics show that there are now more than one billion smartphones in use worldwide, and the number crossed the 1 billion mark for the first time ever in the third quarter of 2012. What’s significant about this number is that it took 16 years for the smartphone industry to reach this historic milestone.

Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, said, “We estimate 1 in 7 of the world’s population owned a smartphone in the third quarter of 2012. Smartphone penetration is still relatively low. Most of the world does not yet own a smartphone and there remains huge scope for future growth, particularly in emerging markets such as China, India and Africa. The first billion smartphones in use worldwide took 16 years to reach, but we forecast the next billion to be achieved in less than three years, by 2015.”

1 billion smartphones in use now (Image Credit: Getty Images)

According to a report by iSuppli Corp. recently, increased demand from developed regions for higher-end models will push smartphones to account for the majority of global cellphone shipments by 2013.

According to the report, smartphone shipments in 2013 are forecast to account for 54 percent of the total cellphone market, up from 46 percent in 2012 and 35 percent in 2011. “The year 2013 will mark the first time that smartphones will make up more than half of all cellphone shipments,” the report states. “This change in outlook represents a major upgrade compared to a year ago when smartphones weren’t expected to take the lead until 2015.”

As per the findings of a recent study, roughly 32 percent of smartphone users in India used their devices to make purchases. While 32 percent affirmed that they would pick their smartphones, 23 percent chose the laptop or desktops as the next choice. "It goes on to show how connected the mobile device is and plays a significant role in a purchase decision," Havas Media Asia Pacific chief executive Vishnu Mohan said quoting the study 'Role of the connected device in the branding and buying cycle of a consumer'.

15.7 percent of those wanting to buy a smartphone, and 16 percent of tablet buyers chose not to visit a physical store for purchasing them.

Scott Bicheno, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, said, “The world’s first modern smartphone, the Nokia Communicator, was introduced in 1996. Nokia remained a dominant force in smartphones for over a decade until the arrival of Apple’s iconic iPhone in 2007. The iPhone revolutionized smartphone design and it catalyzed industry growth. By the third quarter of 2011, we estimate there were 708 million smartphones in use worldwide. After a further year of soaring demand, the number of smartphones in use worldwide reached 1.038 billion units during the third quarter of 2012.”