The global smartphone penetration rate was estimated at ** percent in 2024, up from 2023. This is based on an estimated *** billion smartphone subscriptions worldwide and a global population of around *** 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 ** and ** percent, respectively. Whereas in Sub-Saharan Africa, the same rate only stands at ** percent as of late 2023, showing a roughly ** 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.

This statistic shows the smartphone penetration as share of the population in the United States from 2010 to 2021. In 2018, 69.6 percent of the U.S. population used a smartphone.

Smartphone penetration in the U.S. - additional information
Almost two-thirds of Americans are predicted to own a smartphone by 2017, more than a threefold increase since 2010. A smartphone is a mobile phone that uses an identifiable open Operating System (OS) and has more advanced computing capability and connectivity than a basic phone. The OS is supported by third party applications (commonly known as apps) written by the developer community.

The operating system must be able to support a multitasking environment and user interface that can handle multiple applications at the same time. Two of the most popular operating systems on the market are made by Google (Android) and Apple (iOS) who had a combined stake of over 90 percent of the smartphone market share worldwide at the end of 2016.

The popularity of the smartphone has risen immensely since Apple introduced its first iPhone in 2007, with 43.5 percent of all Americans forecast to own an iPhone by 2016. The first iPhone was notably different from other smartphones at the time because it used a large touchscreen for direct finger input, rather than the need for a stylus, keypad, or keyboard.

The first smartphone to use the Android OS was the HTC Dream released in 2008. Although numbers of people using this OS were low at first, it has since grown to be the most used operating system, with an estimated 107.7 million Americans projected to own an Android phone by 2016.

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.

The smartphone penetration in Indonesia was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total **** percentage points. The penetration is estimated to amount to ** percent in 2029. Notably, the smartphone penetration of was continuously increasing over the past years. The penetration rate refers to the share of the total population. 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.

As of 2022, the penetration rate of smartphones in China reached almost 72 percent. According to the forecast, almost 83 percent of people in China are going to use a smartphone by 2027. The total number of smartphone users in 2022 exceeded one billion.

The master key

In Chinese everyday life, there is no way around not using a smartphone. Over the past decade, the smartphone has evolved from a communication device into not only a multi-tool but also the key to accessing everyday services. From paying for groceries and the restaurant bill to booking train tickets and managing personal finances. As more and more services are only available online, life without a smartphone has become increasingly difficult.

Technology exclusion and social isolation

Because of the growing significance of the smartphone, people without access to them or those unable to use them are at risk of being excluded from vital services and social interactions. These may include the elderly population, finding it difficult to adapt to the new technology. It could also be online applications without sufficient accessibility for persons with disability, and those who cannot afford to purchase a smartphone or live in regions without a comprehensive internet connection. Therefore, as the country moves online, inclusion must be a part of the development.

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.

The smartphone penetration in Brazil was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 19.3 percentage points. The penetration is estimated to amount to 97 percent in 2029. Notably, the smartphone penetration of was continuously increasing over the past years.The penetration rate refers to the share of the total population.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 information concerning Singapore and Turkey.

According to this forecast, the penetration will stay nearly the same over the forecast period. The penetration rate refers to the share of the total population.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 information concerning Singapore and the United Kingdom.

The smartphone penetration in Mexico was forecast to decrease between 2024 and 2029 by in total 3.5 percentage points. This overall decrease does not happen continuously, notably not in 2026. According to this forecast, in 2029, the penetration will have decreased for the third consecutive year to 60.89 percent. Notably, the smartphone penetration of was continuously increasing over the past years.The penetration rate refers to the share of the total population.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).

More than ** percent of the population in Japan used a smartphone in 2023. This constituted a significant increase from less than ** percent in 2019. Current trends in smartphone usage in Japan The smartphone penetration rate was forecast to reach about **** percent by 2028, which equaled a total of more than ** million smartphone users. Despite a low birth rate and an aging and shrinking population, both the number of mobile internet users and the number of social media users were forecast to increase in the coming years, in part reflecting the growing prevalence of smartphones in Japan. While Japanese manufacturers had held a leading position in the mobile phone market prior to the widespread adoption of smartphones, the success of the iPhone has made Apple the most popular smartphone brand in Japan. The Japanese telecommunications industry Japan’s major mobile phone providers are NTT Docomo, KDDI Corporation, SoftBank Corp., and Rakuten Mobile. Among these four, NTT Docomo has been holding the highest market share. Next to the major mobile carriers, there are several low-cost mobile service providers in Japan, such as GTN Mobile or SoftBank subsidiary Y!mobile, which offer budget SIM cards and basic data plans that are popular among foreign tourists and customers looking for short-term options. Depending on the carrier, customers can profit from a higher flexibility regarding contract periods, multilingual support for non-Japanese nationals, or the enablement of bill payments without a local bank account or credit card.

The statistic shows the share of the population in the United States that uses a smartphone in the United States from 2018 to 2025. In 2025, 87.08 percent of the population in the United States is forecast to use a smartphone.

Smartphone user penetration - additional information
A smartphone can be defined as a mobile device that uses an identifiable operating system and has a more advanced technological capability than a basic mobile phone. The number of U.S mobile users who have a smartphone is set to more than triple between 2011 and 2017 to almost 80 percent of all mobile users. This means that the number of overall smartphone users is forecast to top 200 million by 2017.

The smartphone penetration rate of mobile users is similarly high in the United Kingdom, with over 80 percent expected to own a smart device by 2017. However the smartphone market is set to grow at a slower rate in China with just under half of mobile users forecast to own a smartphone in 2017. The percentage is even lower in India where 32 percent of mobile phone users are predicted to use a smartphone by 2017.

Android phones and iPhones remain the most popular choice for smartphones with the two respective Operating Systems holding of 90 percent of the market sales in the U.S. in 2013. This trend looks set to continue with two new competing smartphones on the market, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (Android) and the iPhone 6 (iOS), both unveiled in 2014.

The smartphone penetration in Spain was forecast to remain on a similar level in 2029 as compared to 2024 with 97 percent. According to this forecast, the penetration will stay nearly the same over the forecast period. The penetration rate refers to the share of the total population.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).

By 2030, the share of smartphones as a percentage of total connections in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) was forecasted to reach 90 percent, up from 81 percent in 2023. Previous reports from the same source stated that the sim connection penetration rate in the region was forecasted to reach 107 percent of the population by 2025.

According to this forecast, the penetration will stay nearly the same over the forecast period. The penetration rate refers to the share of the total population.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 Austria and Switzerland.

Almost ** percent of people in Japan owned a smartphone in 2023. The smartphone penetration rate increased significantly compared to the mid-2010s. Apple’s triumph in Japan Based on shipment volume, Apple holds the largest market share within the Japanese smartphone market. The first iPhone entered the Japanese market in 2008. SoftBank played a pivotal role in Apple’s triumphant journey, marked by the acquisition of exclusive rights for three years and a well-executed strategy based on competitive pricing and aggressive marketing. Consequently, the iPhone emerged as one of the earliest widely adopted smartphones in Japan. Since then, iPhones have consistently held a distinct appeal among Japanese consumers and regularly dominate the ranking of the best-selling smartphone models in Japan. The advent of 5G networks in Japan One of the major developments for the Japanese mobile communications market in recent years was the introduction of fifth-generation (5G) networks in 2020. While Japan's major mobile carriers commenced offering commercial 5G services from March 2020 onward, Rakuten Mobile joined as the country's fourth major carrier and started rolling out its 5G network in September 2020. The implementation of 5G technologies ushered in substantially higher speeds, an increased capacity, and a lower latency, particularly benefiting activities such as online streaming and mobile gaming. A recent survey underscored that smartphones are the primary devices for accessing the internet in Japan, further emphasizing the pivotal role of these devices in shaping the country's digital landscape.

The smartphone penetration in France was forecast to remain on a similar level in 2029 as compared to 2024 with 97 percent. According to this forecast, the penetration will stay nearly the same over the forecast period. The penetration rate refers to the share of the total population.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 smartphone penetration in countries like Belgium and Netherlands.

The smartphone penetration in Colombia was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 23.9 percentage points. After the fifteenth consecutive increasing year, the penetration is estimated to reach 97 percent and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the smartphone penetration of was continuously increasing over the past years.The penetration rate refers to the share of the total population.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).

The smartphone penetration in the United Kingdom was forecast to remain on a similar level in 2029 as compared to 2024 with 97 percent. According to this forecast, the penetration will stay nearly the same over the forecast period. Notably, the smartphone penetration of was continuously increasing over the past years.The penetration rate refers to the share of the total population.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 information concerning Estonia and Slovakia.

With a 2G network shutdown due across the country, Australian mobile owners will soon have to convert to smartphones to be able to use their mobile phones. Fortunately, smartphone penetration in the country is already high. In 2017, 81 percent of the Australian population used a smartphone and the share was estimated to reach around 87 percent by 2026. This represents just over 23.6 million smartphone users across the country. With the uprising of 5G networks, along with advancements in mobile technology, the way Australians use smartphones may change in the near future.

The changing smartphone landscape

The pace at which smartphones are transforming has been rapid. Developments in wireless technology and hardware have been propelled forward due to the requirements of today’s smartphone users. Tasks that can be accomplished with a smartphone have become more advanced and smartphones are becoming more integrated into our day-to-day lives. Among many other uses, Australians are using their smartphones for fitness and health tracking, digital payments, gaming, and social networking. Intrinsically linked to this, mobile internet user penetration will likely continue to increase.

Leading smartphone brands

Tech giant Apple was the market leader in terms of the number of smartphones sold in Australia. Smartphone sales were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to many vendors facing supply constraints and store closures around the world. Even still, Apple has remained the dominant smartphone brand, while iOS has maintained an over 50 percent market share of mobile operating systems.

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.