Research: Half the world owns a smartphone
June 25, 2021
According to research from Strategy Analytics, half the world’s entire population now owns a smartphone. Some 4 billion people were using a smartphone as of June 2021.
Yiwen Wu, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, said: “We estimate the global smartphone user base has risen dramatically from just 30k people in 1994 to 1.00 billion in 2012, and a record 3.95 billion today in June 2021. With an estimated 7.90 billion people in total on the planet in June 2021, it means 50 per cent of the whole world now owns a smartphone. It has taken 27 years to reach this historic milestone.”
Linda Sui, Senior Director at Strategy Analytics, added: “The world’s first modern smartphone, IBM Simon, was launched commercially in the United States way back in 1994. This was followed by other famous models, such as the Nokia 9110 Communicator in 1998 and Ericsson R380 for Europe in 2000. Apple iPhone popularised the smartphone in 2007, while Google Android democratised the smartphone with an affordable software platform from 2008.”
Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, added, “Half of humanity now owns a smartphone. The smartphone is the most successful computer of all time. Smartphones today are used by 4 billion people worldwide, from urban California to suburban China and rural Africa. Consumers and workers love the convenience, utility, and safety of having a connected computer in their pocket. Smartphones have become an essential daily tool. We predict 5 billion people will be using smartphones worldwide by 2030.”