In 2021, the number of mobile devices operating worldwide stood at almost 15 billion, up from just over 14 billion in the previous year. The number of mobile devices is expected to reach 18.22 billion by 2025, an increase of 4.2 billion devices compared to 2020 levels.

Moving forward with 5G

As the number of devices grows, so does our dependence on them to fulfill daily functions and activities. The use cases for mobile devices increasingly demand faster connection speeds and lower latency. The 5G network will be critical to fulfilling those demands, operating at significantly faster rates than 4G. In North America, for example, it is expected that there will be 218 million 5G connections, up from just ten million in 2020. This means around 48 percent of all mobile connections in North America. Globally, this figure should reach 20.1 percent by 2025.

6G: looking beyond 5G

While 5G has entered commercialization and is already creating new opportunities, researchers and engineers are already experimenting with 6G. Not only will the number of mobile devices continue to grow but cellular internet-of-things (IoT) devices are set to permeate more industrial sectors in the coming years, meaning a solution will eventually be required for network congestion and data transfer speeds.

6G ought to be capable of solving those problems before they arise, potentially enabling a network connection density ten times greater than that of 5G, and peak data rates up to fifty times faster than the rate of 5G. The Federal Communications Commission in the United States has opened spectrum for experimentation, and China have already launched what is described as a 6G satellite, so that actual potential of 6G should be revealed over the coming decade.

The global number of smartphone users in was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 1.8 billion users (+42.62 percent). After the fifteenth consecutive increasing year, the smartphone user base is estimated to reach 6.1 billion users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of smartphone users of was continuously increasing over the past years.Smartphone users here are limited to internet users of any age using a smartphone. The shown figures have been derived from survey data that has been processed to estimate missing demographics.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of smartphone users in countries like the Americas and Asia.

How many smartphone mobile network subscriptions are active worldwide? The number of smartphone mobile network subscriptions worldwide reached almost seven billion in 2023, and is forecast to exceed 7.7 billion by 2028. China, India, and the United States are the countries with the highest number of smartphone mobile network subscriptions. Smartphone unit sales levelling off The smartphone market still has high growth potential, with the smartphone penetration rate remaining lower than 70 percent in many highly populated markets, in particular China and India. Global smartphone revenue reached 481 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, but was expected to have fallen to 463 billion in 2022. Despite stagnating sales, the increasing average selling price of smartphones is expected to support the market over the coming years. Leading smartphone vendors The leading smartphone vendors today are Samsung and Apple. These technology companies account for about half of all smartphone shipments worldwide.

In 2022, smartphone vendors sold around 1.39 billion smartphones were sold worldwide, with this number forecast to drop to 1.34 billion in 2023.

Smartphone penetration rate still on the rise

Less than half of the world’s total population owned a smart device in 2016, but the smartphone penetration rate has continued climbing, reaching 78.05 percent in 2020. By 2025, it is forecast that almost 87 percent of all mobile users in the United States will own a smartphone, an increase from the 27 percent of mobile users in 2010.

Smartphone end user sales

In the United States alone, sales of smartphones were projected to be worth around 73 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, an increase from 18 billion dollars in 2010. Global sales of smartphones are expected to increase from 2020 to 2021 in every major region, as the market starts to recover from the initial impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The number of smartphone users in the United States was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 17.4 million users (+5.61 percent). After the fifteenth consecutive increasing year, the smartphone user base is estimated to reach 327.54 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of smartphone users of was continuously increasing over the past years.Smartphone users here are limited to internet users of any age using a smartphone. The shown figures have been derived from survey data that has been processed to estimate missing demographics.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of smartphone users in countries like Mexico and Canada.

In 2020, the number of smartphone users in Mexico was estimated at nearly 81 million. This is an increase of about five percent from the 77 million users registered the previous year.

An upward trend Smartphones have come to account for almost all mobile phones used in Mexico, and their prevalence keeps on growing. By the end of 2021, it is expected that close to 65 percent of the country's population will be smartphone users. While several brands are vying for dominance of the Mexican market, Korean manufacturer Samsung continues to be the most used smartphone brand, holding a 32 percent share. Not far behind, however, U.S.-based Motorola followed, with a 20 percent market share.

5G: ready, set, not just yet 5th generation technology (5G) is the latest version of wireless broadband cellular technology used by network providers. Countries across the globe are adopting this technology to improve mobile communication through higher capacity, faster speed, and lower latency, among others. According to a survey conducted in early 2020, 39 percent of Mexican mobile users interviewed said they would be willing to switch to a 5G network as soon as it became available in their region. Despite their willingness, a transition to this technology entails new expenditures on devices capable of supporting it, which remains a luxury for many . In fact, at the time, less than 10 percent of Mexicans already had a 5G mobile network.

The number of smartphone users in Asia was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 1.2 billion users (+49.46 percent). After the fifteenth consecutive increasing year, the smartphone user base is estimated to reach 3.7 billion users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of smartphone users of was continuously increasing over the past years.Smartphone users here are limited to internet users of any age using a smartphone. The shown figures have been derived from survey data that has been processed to estimate missing demographics.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of smartphone users in countries like Europe and Worldwide.

The number of smartphone users in Argentina was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 3.1 million users (+7.54 percent). After the fifteenth consecutive increasing year, the smartphone user base is estimated to reach 44.15 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of smartphone users of was continuously increasing over the past years.Smartphone users here are limited to internet users of any age using a smartphone. The shown figures have been derived from survey data that has been processed to estimate missing demographics.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of smartphone users in countries like Paraguay and Chile.

In 2022, the number of smartphone users in China amounted to almost 1.04 billion. According to the forecast, the user number was expected to increase to around 1.18 billion by 2026. With around 6.6 billion people who use smartphones around the world, China accounts for over 15 percent of total users.

From copycats to global players

Over the past decade, Chinese smartphone manufacturers evolved from cheap alternatives to established, global brands. At the beginning of the 2010s, the market was still dominated by traditional cell phone vendors like Nokia and Sony. Halfway through the decade, Chinese manufacturers like Huawei, Xiaomi, and OPPO entered the market. Aided by the popularity among domestic consumers, these brands became integral parts of the global industry.

Like a Swiss army knife

Along with user base growth, the significance of the smartphone in Chinese every day life increased as well. Today, Chinese citizens use the smartphone for everything. From paying for groceries using mobile payment services, ordering take out, to finding a taxi, all require smartphone. Furthermore, during the pandemic, the Chinese government introduced digital health codes to monitor the citizen’s risk status.

The number of smartphone users in Japan amounted to almost 86.6 million in 2022. It was forecast to reach more than 95 million by 2028.

Domestic smartphone market

Japan was one of the first countries to develop a mobile phone culture, being home to inventions such as the world’s first camera phone in 1999 as well as the nowadays ubiquitous emojis. The largest mobile phone operators in the country are NTT Docomo, au by KDDI, and SoftBank. Rakuten Mobile joined as the fourth proper mobile network operator (MNO) in 2020. As for mobile phone types, Japanese consumers show a clear preference for smartphones, which make up the majority of monthly domestic mobile phone shipments. The popularity of smartphones in Japan goes hand in hand with an increasing usage of streaming services as well as other forms of mobile entertainment.

Popularity of smartphone gaming

Home to global gaming industry giants such as Nintendo and Sony, Japan also boasts a very competitive mobile gaming market. A survey regarding the frequency of playing smartphone games showed that a majority of smartphone gamers play games on a daily basis. The most commonly played smartphone game genres are puzzle games, location-based games, and role-playing games (RPGs) of various kinds. Dating back to as early as 1999, when NTT Docomo made RPGs such as “Dragon Quest” and “Final Fantasy” available for download on its platform, this genre has been among the more popular ones.

The global smartphone penetration rate was estimated at 71 percent in 2024, up from 2023. This is based on an estimated 6.7 billion smartphone subscriptions worldwide and a global population of around 7.4 billion. Regional differences in smartphone penetration Throughout the world, the smartphone penetration rate in the general population varies greatly. For example, in North America and Europe, the smartphone adoption rate stands at roughly 86 and 82 percent, respectively. Whereas in Sub-Saharan Africa, the same rate only stands at 55 percent as of late 2023, showing a roughly 30 percent difference in adoption rates between the highest and lowest ranked regions. Global smartphone shipments The number of global smartphone shipments saw a drop in recent years. However, the number of shipments is expected to recover to previous levels in the upcoming years. Most recently, Samsung and Apple have been leading the share of smartphone shipments worldwide, with other competitors such as Xiaomi and Oppo are catching up. Most of the top contributors to the smartphone market are concentrated in the Asia-Pacific region, which is also the region is the one with the most smartphone sales to end users as a whole.

The number of smartphone users in Germany has only grown in recent years, amounting to 62.6 million smartphone owners in 2021. In 2009, this number was 6.3 million. Android in the lead Mobile devices have taken the world by storm since they arrived on the market and today daily life is practically unimaginable without them. However, at the same time studies are conducted to determine the effect prolonged usage has on health. Since the coronavirus (COVID-19) has been declared a pandemic and countries all over the world practice quarantine and social distancing, relying on smartphones for interpersonal communication has increased dramatically. Android phones were considerably more popular with German consumers than iOs. Not cheap In recent years, the sales volume of smartphones in Germany has decreased, amounting to almost 21.4 million devices sold in 2024. This may also be due to rising prices. In 2023, on average, a new smartphone cost 701 euros.

The number of smartphone users in Sweden was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 0.5 million users (+5.37 percent). After the eleventh consecutive increasing year, the smartphone user base is estimated to reach 9.77 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Smartphone users here are limited to internet users of any age using a smartphone. The shown figures have been derived from survey data that has been processed to estimate missing demographics.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of smartphone users in countries like Finland and Denmark.

The number of smartphones registered in Uganda has grown steadily quarter-on-quarter, going from 4.57 million in the first quarter of 2018 to then reaching over 12 million by the fourth quarter of 2022.

The statistic shows the total number of mobile phone users worldwide from 2015 to 2020. In 2019 the number of mobile phone users is forecast to reach 4.68 billion.

Mobile phone users worldwide - additional information

The number of mobile phone users in the world is expected to pass the five billion mark by 2019. In 2016, an estimated 62.9 percent of the population worldwide already owned a mobile phone. The mobile phone penetration is forecasted to continue to grow, rounding up to 67 percent by 2019. China was predicted to have just over 1.4 billion mobile connections in 2017, while India was forecast to reach over one billion. By 2019, China is expected to reach almost 1.5 billion mobile connections and India almost 1.1 billion.

Most of the mobile market growth can be attributed to the increasing popularity of smartphones. By 2014, around 38 percent of all mobile users were smartphone users. By 2018, this number is expected to reach over 50 percent. The number of smartphone users worldwide is expected to grow by one billion in a time span of five years, which means the number of smartphone users in the world is expected to reach 2.7 billion by 2019. Samsung and Apple are leading smartphone vendors, with about 18 percent of the market share each.

The number of smartphone users in Italy was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 5.8 million users (+12.05 percent). After the fifteenth consecutive increasing year, the smartphone user base is estimated to reach 53.92 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of smartphone users of was continuously increasing over the past years.Smartphone users here are limited to internet users of any age using a smartphone. The shown figures have been derived from survey data that has been processed to estimate missing demographics.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of smartphone users in countries like Greece and Malta.

This statistic shows the number of smartphone users in the U.S. from 2009 to 2040. For 2022, the number of smartphone users in the United States is estimated to reach 307 million.

Smartphone users - additional information

Advances in telecommunication technology have been significant in recent years. These advances have led to a level of connectivity never seen before. The number of smartphone users in the US has risen steadily over the last several years and forecasts estimate that smartphone penetration in North America will also continue to rise steadily into the future. The United States is one of the leading countries in the world with respect to adoption of smartphone technology.

In America the most popular smartphone brands are Samsung and Apple, while the most popular smartphone operating systems / platforms with respect to market share are none other than Google Android and Apple’s own operating system, iOS. Other operating systems, such as Symbian, Blackberry OS, Bada and Windows have struggled to maintain a foothold in the market as iOS and Android clearly dominate the field.

The first official smartphones came onto the market in the early 1990s. Initially a smartphone was classified by its ability to offer features like e-mail capability, internet access, QUERTY keyboards, personal digital assistant functions and perhaps a built-in camera. As of today, smartphones have progressed even more and we typically classify smartphones as having a high definition touchscreen, various apps, navigation tools and high-speed internet on the go. More recently sales of smartphones have even exceeded that of traditional feature phones as smartphone usage has continued to rise.

The number of smartphone users in Hong Kong was forecast to increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 0.1 million users (+1.42 percent). This overall increase does not happen continuously, notably not in 2029. The smartphone user base is estimated to amount to 7.12 million users in 2029. Notably, the number of smartphone users of was continuously increasing over the past years.Smartphone users here are limited to internet users of any age using a smartphone. The shown figures have been derived from survey data that has been processed to estimate missing demographics.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find further information concerning South Korea and Taiwan.

In 2025, the number of monthly active smartphone users in Italy is projected to reach 41.88 million individuals. This would be an increase of approximately twenty million new users compared to 2018. The penetration rate is also expected to increase. As of 2018, about nine in ten mobile surfers believed that smartphones were as important or more important than personal computers, as stated by Osservatori Digital Innovation. The most popular smartphone brands in the country were Samsung, Huawei, and Apple. Constantly on their phonesAccording to Deloitte's Global Mobile Consumer Survey 2017, Italians ranked well above the European average in many aspects. For example, they ranked first for voice search and virtual assistant usage. At the same time, 40 percent of the respondents thought that they used their smartphone excessively. Only Spain ranked higher, with 46 percent of the respondents believing they used their smartphones too much. Privacy concernsExcessive use was not the only concern among smartphone users: Italians were also worried about privacy and personal data protection. In general, mobile surfers were against companies tracking them online. However, there was a noticeable generational difference in the willingness to give away personal data for marketing purposes. In particular, Millennials were more willing to monetize their data than previous generations.

The number of smartphone users in Norway was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 0.3 million users (+5.89 percent). After the thirteenth consecutive increasing year, the smartphone user base is estimated to reach 5.39 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Smartphone users here are limited to internet users of any age using a smartphone. The shown figures have been derived from survey data that has been processed to estimate missing demographics.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of smartphone users in countries like Iceland and Sweden.