Smartphones have changed the way people interact with the world, and an enormous proportion of the global population owns a smartphone. For most people, smartphones have become much more than means of communication, with people gaming, shopping, investing, scrolling social media, taking photographs, and so much more. Throughout this article, we’re going to discuss various smartphone statistics, take a look at why people are buying smartphones, what the latest trends are, and which smartphones are the best in 2023.
How Many People Have Smartphones in 2023?
Statistics compiled by Oberlo state that there are 6.8 billion smartphone users in the world – an increase of 4.2% on 2022’s figures. Even more interestingly, in the last seven years, smartphone usage has grown by around 86.5%. The report goes on to discuss recent surveys around the most popular device worldwide, which happens to be the smartphone.
These enormous figures don’t reflect every global market. For example, in emerging economies like Nigeria and Brazil, smartphone ownership sites are between 19% and 55% of the population. The largest hurdle here is mass poverty in these countries, making smartphone ownership unaffordable for many. However, this doesn’t mean smartphone usage isn’t increasing, as there are charities like Africa Calling that are dedicated to supplying smartphones to those in need – therefore increasing connectivity.
Did Covid-19 Influence Smartphone Buying?
The Covid-19 pandemic plunged much of the world into lockdowns, which would suggest that the number of people buying smartphones would increase. After all, they’re powerful tools for remote connectivity and communication. However, according to a report from Gartner, Samsung reported a drop of around 20% in sales in the first quarter of 2022.
This dip in sales wasn’t necessarily because people didn’t want smartphones during the pandemic. Instead, the closure of borders put pressure on tech manufacturers and logistics companies, meaning production wasn’t able to meet the demand. Additionally, with many physical stores closing or having small capacities, the only reliable stream was online.
This negative downtrend wasn’t going to last long though, as peoples’ pent-up need to get their hands on the latest smartphones boosted sales during Q1 of 2021 – before positive Covid-19 case numbers rose again and lockdowns swept through the world.
Why is Knowing How Many People Own a Smartphone Important?
Knowing how many people own a smartphone might not be important to the everyday individual, but it does demonstrate interesting information to businesses. In particular, all types of businesses know that they can read an enormous audience through the power of smartphones. For example, a tech startup will know that it can build an app and reach a potential market of 6.8 billion people – if they get the development and marketing right to cut through the overwhelming competition.
What Are the Latest Tech Trends Influencing Smartphone Popularity?
The tech world is evolving constantly, and much of the innovation involves the use of smartphones. For example, when it comes to security, two-factor authentication (2FA) is becoming an industry standard, and this largely relies on a smartphone to execute.
Security isn’t the only trend influencing the smartphone market. The Internet of Things (IoT), which includes all smart devices, uses smartphone apps to communicate, show data, and be controlled. In recent years, the price of IoT devices has dropped significantly, meaning they’re much more accessible. On the back of this, smartphone purchases have risen.
Payment apps have been around for some time now, but their capabilities are expanding far beyond what anyone could have imagined. For example, mobile wallets like Google’s Wallet, Apply Pay, Venmo, Samsung Pay, Monzo, and so many more have changed the way people interact with their finances. For example, smartphones can be used to send money cheaply internationally, pay for goods via contactless, keep tabs on banking activity, and so much more. The rise of fintech has essentially removed the need to carry a wallet around.
There are a lot more mobile tech trends we could discuss here, but it’d be enough of a discussion to turn into a completely separate article, so we’ll leave it there for now.
How Social Media Plays Into Smartphone Popularity
When Facebook first emerged back in 2004, it wasn’t built with smartphones in mind, as they didn’t even become popular until January 2011 – according to the Guardian. However, since then, social media platforms have exploded and they’re largely optimized for smartphones first. As well as this, the rise in popularity of picture and video platforms like Instagram and TikTok meant that more people needed to have a camera plugged into the social world – smartphones are the answer.
The Gaming World and Smartphone Popularity
When the app stores are full of mobile gaming titles, there’s no way to discuss the popularity of smartphones in 2023 without talking about the gaming industry. The mobile gaming world has exploded over recent years, and it’s all to do with the power of the latest gen technology. Interestingly, there are smartphones on the market that are capable of playing AAA games. For example, the Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate will easily handle titles like Call of Duty.
When talking about smartphones and gaming, the online casino world needs a mention as well. Thanks to the power of smartphones, punters can access their favorite games and sportsbook at the tips of their fingers. Given that the gambling industry’s global value is hundreds of millions, there’s no getting around the influence it must have had on the popularity of smartphones.
Outside of what’s packed inside smartphones, advances in the world of VR have made smartphones more popular. For example, instead of investing in an expensive VR headset, interested gamers can buy a cheaper headset that’s compatible with mobile devices.
VR isn’t the only visual technology making smartphones popular, as AR is becoming integrated into more apps. The most notable gaming use case of AR is Pokémon Go, which utilizes the smartphone camera to show Pokémon in the real world. Even though the buzz has died down, it still played an enormous role in making smartphones popular – and it’s still got an enormous player base in 2023.
The Rich, The Famous, and Smartphone Popularity
Tech trends aren’t the only trends that influence the popularity of smartphones. Phones have become part of the fashion world, with many people itching to get hold of the latest tech. For example, if you’re a fan of Apple products, you’ll be almost re-mortgaging your home to get hold of the next iPhone.
This herd mentality to need the latest iPhone comes from being part of an enormous community, and it’s often fed by influencers, the rich and famous, and the movie world. For example, Kim Kardashian always has an iPhone. Whether you like them or not, there’s no denying that the Kardashians have influenced a generation. Further, it’s heavily speculated that villains aren’t allowed to use iPhones in movies. If they did, it would go against their guidelines that state that all products should be “shown only in the best light”.
What Are the Most Popular Smartphones in 2023?
To round things off, let’s take a look at the latest smartphones on the market in 2023. Naturally, everyone will have a different position on this, so this list is in no particular order.
Kicking us off is the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, which has a quad-camera setup, an integrated stylus, and massive 256GB base storage (expandable to 1TB). Using the latest smartphone technology, this offering from the Android giant is one of the best that money can buy in 2023.
If you’re a fan of all things Apple, then the iPhone 14 Pro Max boasts Dolby Vision and 4K, a powerful battery (groundbreaking for iPhone users), WiFi 6 support, and crash detection and satellite SOS. Naturally, with so much power comes so much money, and you can expect to pay a hefty sum for this. Additionally, at this point, the iPhone 15 comes out in September, so you may as well hold off.
Being the creator of Android, there’s no surprise that Google is very much involved in the smartphone world. With that in mind, Google Pixel 7 Pro is another popular selection for 2023. Packing an impressive battery, quality cameras, and a software setup that puts users first, this phone is well worth the reasonable price tag.
This one’s for the gamers out there that want nothing but the best for their craft. The Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate comes with a steep price tag – one that even smashes Apple’s iPhone prices out of the water. However, when you consider how incredible technology is packed into it, there’s no surprise. Supporting the latest 5G technology, Snapdragon 8 (gen 2) processing, and is protected by a Gorilla Glass screen, this phone will fulfill any serious gamer’s needs.
Smartphones are owned by an enormous proportion of the global population, and they’ve become an essential tool for getting through the day. No matter what a person’s motivation is for buying a smartphone, there is no way to deny how popular they still are in 2023 – and how popular they will continue to be as we move through the 2020s.