Half of the people in the world now own a smartphone, according to new worldwide smartphone ownership research from Strategy Analytics.
The 50% mark was reached 27 years after the launch of the first smartphone, IBM Simon, which debuted commercially in the United States in 1994. This was followed by other famous models, such as the Nokia 9110 Communicator in 1998 and Ericsson R380 for Europe in 2000, said Strategy Analytics senior director Linda Sui, in a prepared statement. “Apple iPhone popularized the smartphone in 2007, while Google Android democratized the smartphone with an affordable software platform from 2008.”
“We estimate the global smartphone user base has risen dramatically from just 30,000 people in 1994 to 1 billion in 2012, and a record 3.95 billion today in June 2021,” added Yiwen Wu, Strategy Analytics senior analyst, in a prepared statement. “With an estimated 7.90 billion people in total on the planet in June 2021, it means 50% of the whole world now owns a smartphone.”
It took 18 years to reach the first billion smartphone owners, but the next 2.5 billion were reached in half that time.
“The smartphone is the most successful computer of all time,” said Neil Mawston, Strategy Analytics executive director, in a prepared statement. “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.”