The number of cell phone subscriptions grew 20.7 mln in January and February 2012 to reach just over 1 bln, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said, up from 900.4 mln in April 2011. The number of fixed line subscriptions fell by 828,000 during that period to reach 284.3 mln. Of the more than 1 bln accounts, a total of 144 mln used 3G technology.
49.7% of Americans own smartphones
Almost half (49.7%) of US mobile subscribers now own smartphones, as of February 2012. According to Nielsen, this marks an increase of 38% YTY; in February 2011, only 36% of mobile subscribers owned smartphones. This growth is driven by increasing smartphone adoption, as more than two-thirds of those who acquired a new mobile device in the last three months chose a smartphone over a feature phone.
Overall, Android continues to lead the smartphone market in the U.S., with 48% of smartphone owners saying they owned an Android OS device. Nearly a third (32.1%) of smartphone users have an Apple iPhone, and Blackberry owners represented another 11.6% of the smartphone market. Among recent acquirers who got their smartphone within the last three months, 48% of those surveyed in February said they chose an Android and 43% bought an iPhone.
Smart connected devices generated $489 bln in 2011
The universe of smart connected devices, including PCs, media tablets, and smartphones, saw shipments of more than 916 mln units and revenues surpassing $489 bln dollars in 2011, according to IDC. Unit shipments for smart connected devices should top 1.1 bln worldwide in 2012. By 2016, IDC predicts shipments will reach 1.84 bln units, more than double the 2011 figure, as consumers and business of all shapes and sizes around the world are showing a nearly insatiable appetite for smart connected devices. This works out to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.4% for the five-year forecast period.
Mobile entertainment to generate $32 bln in 2009
According to Mobile Entertainment Forum, the global mobile entertainment industry is now worth some $32 bln. According to KPMG, the industry also remains confident that it can continue to grow strongly despite the current economic challenges, predicting average revenue growth of 28% for 2010.
Mobile financial services to the poor to reach $5 bln by 2012
The market of mobile financial services to poor people in emerging markets will surge from nothing to $5 bln in 2012, CGAP said.
26% of US consumers thinking of cutting costs by switching to prepaid cellular
Two out of five Americans with contract-based cell phones (39% or 60.3 mln consumers) are likely to cut back on their cell phones to save money if, as is widely expected, the economy gets worse over the next six months, according to Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) for the New Millennium Research Council (NMRC).
26% of consumers with contract-based cell phone service are more inclined today than 6 months ago to look at a way to save money on their cell phone bill, such as by switching to prepaid phone plans and services. This group includes 38% of those in households making $35,000 a year or less, 32% of African Americans and 30% of those aged 18-34. A total of 19 mln Americans have considered cutting back (5%) or actually have cut back (15%) on such features in the last six months because of actual job loss, fear of job loss, the recession, or any other related financial concerns. More than two out of five cell phone users with extras on their phones (41%) say it is very (19%) or somewhat (21%) likely that they will cut back on cell phone extras if the economy gets worse in the next six months. Fewer than two in five (39%) say it is not likely at all that they will make such cuts in the face of a deepening recession.
391.8 mln mobile subscribers in India in March 2009
Indian mobile operators added a record 15.64 mln customers in March 2009, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India said. The mobile subscriber base in India rose by 50%, or more than 130 mln, to 391.8 mln.
International phone calls up 12% in 2008
Cross-border telephone traffic grew 14% in 2007 and is estimated to have grown 12% in 2008, to 384 billion minutes. Due to declining call prices, however, revenues have largely been flat. While international telephone traffic is increasing at a modest pace, Skype’s international traffic has soared: TeleGeography estimates that Skype’s cross-border traffic grew approximately 41% in 2008, to 33 billion minutes, equivalent to 8% of combined international telephone traffic, TeleGeography says.
14.7% of US households were completely wireless in 2007, Oklahoma and Utah most landline-free in the nation
Wireless-only households made up 14.7% of US households in 2007. Wireless-only adults made up 13.6% of U.S. adults in 2007. State-level estimates ranged from 5.1% (Vermont) to 26.2% (Oklahoma) of households and from 4.0% (Delaware) to 25.1% (Oklahoma) of adults. 25.4% of adults living in the District of Columbia were wireless-only, Center for Disease Control says.
Other states with a high prevalence of wireless-only households include Utah (25.5%), Nebraska (23.2%), Arkansas (22.6%), Idaho (22.1%), and Iowa (22.2%). Other states with a low prevalence of wireless-only households include Connecticut (5.6%), Delaware (5.7%), South Dakota (6.4%), Rhode Island (7.9%), New Jersey (8.0%), and Hawaii (8.0%).
66% of smartphones sold in Q4 2008 rely on 3G
According to The NPD Group, consumer sales of smartphones to US consumers represented 23% of all handset sales in Q4 2008 compared to just 12% in Q4 2007. Led by the release of iPhone 3G at $199, the average price for a smartphone fell 23% from $216 in Q4 2007 to $167 in Q4 2008. While half of smartphones on the market now sold with touch screens, 70% of all models instead offer QWERTY keyboards. 66% of smartphones now use 3G networks, compared to just 46% a year ago. 52% of smartphone buyers purchased an accessory at the time of their phone purchases, compared to just 41% among all other phone buyers.
4.1 bln mobile subscriptions in 2008
By the end of 2008 there were an estimated 4.1 bln cell phone subscriptions globally, compared with about 1 bln in 2002, the International Telecommunication Union said. Fixed line subscriptions increased at a much slower pace to 1.27 bln from about 1 bln over the same period.
Downloaded Mobile Game by Platform: November 2008
Downloads, 000 | November 2007 | November 2008 | Growth, YTY |
Smartphones | 734 | 2,869 | 291% |
Non-Smartphones | 6,486 | 5,593 | -14% |
Total | 7,220 | 8,463 | 17% |
Source: comScore |
16.5% of mobile users spent over $100 in app stores
An ABI Research survey of US smartphone users who installed applications on their devices in 2008, conducted in November 2008, reveals that a surprising 16.5% spent between $100 and $499. That level of spending is especially significant given the low cost of most mobile applications, ranging from as little as a dollar or two at Apple’s iPhone App Store, to at most about $25.
US mobile Internet activity in November 2008
Activity | Audience, 000 | Reach | Growth, % |
Sent/received photos or videos | 63,736 | 27.7 | 5.6 |
Received SMS ads | 54,922 | 23.9 | 8.2 |
Accessed news/info via browser | 41,894 | 18.2 | 9.7 |
Used email | 38,370 | 16.7 | 6.3 |
Listened to music | 21,006 | 9.1 | 8.5 |
Accessed social networking sites | 20,668 | 9.0 | 14.2 |
Played downloaded game | 20,468 | 8.9 | 6.1 |
Purchased ringtones | 19,556 | 8.5 | -1.1 |
Accessed downloaded application | 18,337 | 8.0 | 15.8 |
Watched Video | 7,523 | 3.3 | +5.6 |
Source: comScore |
Internet activity of European mobile subscribers in November 2008
Germany | Spain | France | Italy | UK | ||||||
Activity | % Users | % Change | % Users | % Change | % Users | % Change | % Users | % Change | % Users | % Change |
Watched video | 5% | 2% | 8% | 0% | 6% | -7% | 7% | -4% | 4% | -27% |
Listened to music | 20% | -2% | 23% | -1% | 17% | -3% | 17% | -2% | 22% | -1% |
Accessed news/info via browser | 9% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 14% | 5% | 10% | 5% | 19% | 5% |
Received SMS ads | 27% | 0% | 75% | 5% | 64% | -1% | 54% | 2% | 36% | 0% |
Played downloaded game | 8% | -2% | 10% | -6% | 4% | -14% | 8% | -5% | 10% | -4% |
Accessed downloaded application | 4% | 25% | 5% | 26% | 3% | 16% | 6% | 12% | 6% | 17% |
Sent/received photos or videos | 23% | 0% | 31% | -3% | 25% | -6% | 30% | -5% | 30% | -2% |
Purchased ringtones | 4% | 10% | 4% | 2% | 3% | -8% | 4% | 6% | 3% | 4% |
Used email | 9% | 7% | 11% | -1% | 9% | 11% | 12% | 2% | 12% | 12% |
Accessed social networking sites | 3% | 25% | 5% | 33% | 5% | 20% | 5% | 33% | 9% | 12% |
Source: comScore |
500 mln mobile TV viewers by 2013
While mobile broadcast TV was pioneered in Japan and South Korea, following the switchover traditional and mobile TV broadcasters and cellular operators in many regions will launch mobile TV services that are forecast to attract over 500 mln viewers by 2013, ABI Research found.
8.5% of Americans to use push-to-talk by 2013
Push to Talk (PTT), the mobile phone feature that enables users to connect virtually instantaneously with other users, is forecast to find its way into 8.5% of the North American market by year-end 2013, but in no other world region will it even begin to approach that market share, ABI Research says.
Top mobile sites and top PC sites
Mobile users accessing Facebook spend an average of 24 minutes per day on the site, similar to the 27.5 minutes spent by PC users. Mobile users on Facebook averaged 3.3 visits per day versus 2.3 visits per day by PC users. Mobile is used consistently throughout the whole day, but the early morning (7-10am) is the key day part for mobile, accounting for 22% of total mobile minutes browsed, compared with only 11% of total minutes browsed by PC Internet users in the same day part. Mobile can therefore act as an extension to media such as the Internet and TV, while it reinforces other early morning media, such as radio and newspapers. Mobile is confirmed as a strong youth medium with 48% of users between 18-34 years old, compared to 40% for the fixed Internet and 29% for the TV audience. Mobile is also more skewed towards men, who represent 63% of total users compared with 53% for the fixed Internet.
Top mobile sites | Top PC sites |
Mobile Operator Sites | Google Sites |
Google Sites | Microsoft Sites |
Facebook.com | Yahoo! Sites |
Yahoo! Sites | Facebook.com |
BBC Sites | EBay |
Apple Inc. Sites | BBC Sites |
Microsoft Sites | AOL (inc. Bebo) |
Sony Online (inc. Sony Ericsson) | Amazon Sites |
Nokia | Ask Network |
AOL (inc. Bebo) | Wikimedia Foundation |
Source: GSM Association |
4 bln mobile connections worldwide in 2008
GSM Association reported 4 bln mobile connections were active by year-end 2008, and forecast further growth to 6 bln by 2013.
Mobile Social Networking Usage: November 2008
% Mobile Social Networking Users Who Exclusively Use Social Media |
Y/Y Change in Social Networking via Browser or Application |
Mobile Social Networking Users as Percent of all Mobile Phone Users |
|
Germany | 39.1% | 145% | 3.3% |
Spain | 46.5% | 114% | 5.0% |
France | 21.6% | 167% | 4.5% |
Italy | 38.2% | 151% | 4.7% |
UK | 29.7% | 167% | 9.2% |
Total | 33.5% | 152% | 5.4% |
Source: comScore |
68% of Taiwanese have used cell phone on a toilet
In Australia, 48% said they use their phones in the bathroom. In Taiwan and China the same answer was given by 68 and 66%, respectively. 6% of all respondents said they have taken a call on their phones during a funeral, 10% have done so inside a place of worship and 16% admit to answering their cells while engaging in physical relations, Microsoft Australia found.
Global mobile phone market to shrink 9% in 2009
Global mobile phone market will shrink 9% in 2009, its first decline since 2001 and with the first half set to be especially grim, Strategy Analytics said.
725 mln WCDMA handsets to ship in 2009
The global mobile handset market went into a tailspin in October and November 2008, which will result in a nearly 5% YTY decline in unit shipments in Q4 2008. While 2009 is likely to see more stormy economic weather, there are a few rays of sunshine. WCDMA handset shipments are projected to grow from 258 mln in 2008 to 725 mln in 2009. By 2013, more than 67% of all handsets shipped will be 3G/3G+ capable. Smartphones captured 14% of the 2008 market and are expected to grow throughout the challenging period of 2009 and comprise 31% of the market by 2013. Cellular modems will also be a high growth sector in 2009, driven largely by USB modems which will account for 80% of the shipment volume. Market volume is expected to increase by more than 55% in the coming year as Asian vendors push forward with low-priced modems, ABI Research says.
4.5 bln mobile users by 2013
By 2013, there will be over 140 mln U.S. consumers paying for mobile broadband, which will extend video, communication, networking, and support services to all sorts of devices. Parks Associates forecasts 4.5 bln mobile phone users worldwide by 2013, with many people using these devices as gateways for entertainment services, community information, and social networking. The increasing importance of the mobile phone will affect other product and service sectors. For example, over 100 mln femtocells will be shipped worldwide in 2013, cumulatively serving over 300 mln subscribers.
Top mobile phones in use in Q3 2008
Rank | Handset | Share of subscribers | ||
1 | Motorola RAZR V3 series | 9.3% | ||
2 | Motorola MotoKRZR series | 2.0% | ||
3 | LG VX8300 series | 1.6% | ||
4 | Apple iPhone | 1.5% | ||
5 | LG VX8500 series | 1.2% | ||
5 | RIM BlackBerry 8100 series | 1.2% | ||
7 | Nokia 6101 series | 1.1% | ||
8 | LG VX8350 | 1.0% | ||
9 | Motorola V325 series | 0.9% | ||
9 | Nokia 6010 series | 0.9% | ||
Source: Nielsen |