Global Smartphone Subscriptions to Reach 5.6 Billion in 2019 [Video]

In its latest Mobility Report, Ericsson reveals that mobile subscriptions are expected to reach 9.3 billion by 2019, 5.6 billion of which will be for smartphones.

Right now, smartphones account for 25-30% of all mobile phone subscriptions; however, smartphones accounted for 55% of mobile phones sold in Q3 2013. To support the increase in smartphones, WCDMA/HSPA networks are predicted to cover 90 percent of the world's population by 2019. Moreover, almost two-thirds (65 percent) of the world's population will be covered by 4G/LTE networks.

Douglas Gilstrap, Senior Vice President and Head of Strategy at Ericsson, says: "The rapid pace of smartphone uptake has been phenomenal and is set to continue. It took more than five years to reach the first billion smartphone subscriptions, but it will take less than two to hit the 2 billion mark. Between now and 2019, smartphone subscriptions will triple. Interestingly, this trend will be driven by uptake in China and other emerging markets as lower-priced smartphone models become available."


According to the report, smartphone traffic will grow by 10 times between 2013 and 2019, reaching 10 exabytes. Video is growing 55 percent annually, and will represent more than 50 percent of the mobile data traffic, while social networking and web services will account for around 10 percent each in 2019.

Additionally, it's noted that have good mobile coverage is now an important aspect of life for many users. It's now ranked among the top five satisfaction factors of life in a city.

Check out the video below for more info.

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