The Expansion of the Global Smartphone Market: A 2017 Review

As we continue to live in a world connected by technology, the smartphone market has shown remarkable potential and growth. With manufacturers releasing innovative models every year, one might wonder if there will ever be an end to this rapid expansion. The iPhone, Samsung, Lenovo, and Blackberry series have been continually evolving, showcasing unique configurations and distinct designs in an array of fascinating colours, sizes, and features.

For anyone who has assumed that the market has reached its zenith, every newly launched upgrade seems to reaffirm that we are merely at the precipice of the revolution in smartphone technology.

A peek into statistical data from Statista reveals that the number of mobile phone users soared from 4.43 billion in 2015 to an astonishing 9.77 billion in 2017. The ICT estimation of “mobile cellular subscriptions” appears even more astonishing, with a projected number of 15 billion in 2017.

Ericsson Mobility Report shows that 2.6 billion people had “smartphone subscriptions” in 2015, and that figure is expected to rise to 6.1 billion by 2020. South Korea led the charge in smartphone penetration in 2017 at 88%, closely tailed by Australia (77%), Israel (74%), USA (72%), and Nigeria (71%) in that order, based on surveys conducted by Pew Research Center.

As per the IDC’s shipment statistics for Q4 2017, Apple seized a market share of 21.4%, leaving Samsung at the second position with 18.7%. Huawei, Lenovo, and Xiaomi captured market shares of 8.1%, 5.1%, and 4.6%, respectively, while the remaining vendors comprised 42.1% of the mobile phone market.

In the U.S market, as revealed by DeviceAtlas statistics for Q4 2017, Apple spearheaded with 57.35%, followed by Samsung (10.36%), Verizon (8.27%), AT&T (4.31%), and LG (3.71%) based on mobile website visits.

In light of these statistics, one can ascertain that the world has gone digital. The global rate of smartphone users is doubling every day. Brands like iPhone, Samsung, Huawei, Lenovo have proven to be among the top five choices for users considering a smartphone upgrade.

An interesting outlook emerges when we focus on Nigeria. Regardless of the prevailing economic situation, the allure of owning the latest smartphone versions remains nearly irresistible for many Nigerians. This drive to remain ahead in the digital realm is a testament to how integral smartphones have become in their daily lives.

The incessant rollouts from companies like Apple and Samsung not only testifies to their relentless pursuit of market dominance but also caters to a burgeoning base of smartphone users ever ready to upgrade. The buzz around upcoming releases like iPhone 8 and the much-vaunted Samsung S8 further underlines this enthusiastic anticipation.

So, in the face of unprecedented growth and relentless advancement, will there ever be an end to the smartphone series? Or are we in for more technologically advanced surprises in the years to come? No one can predict with certainty. All we can do is embrace the digital journey, absorb the changes, and hope for ground-breaking innovations that will elevate our level of connectedness to unimaginable heights.