In 2021, the number of mobile devices active worldwide was almost 15 billion, compared to just over 14 billion the year before. The number of mobile devices is expected to reach 18.22 billion by 2025, an increase of 4.2 billion devices compared to 2020 levels.
Moving forward with 5G
As the number of devices grows, so does our dependence on them to perform daily functions and activities. Mobile device use cases increasingly require faster connection speeds and lower latency. The 5G network will be critical to meeting these demands and will operate at significantly higher speeds than 4G. In North America, for example, this is expected to be the case218 million 5G connections, up from just ten million in 2020. That represents about 48 percent of all mobile connections in North America.Globally, this figure should reach 20.1 percent by 2025.
6G: looking beyond 5G
While 5G has entered commercialization and is already creating new opportunities, researchers and engineers are already experimenting with it6G. Not only will the number of mobile devices continue to grow, but the number of mobile devices will also continue to growInternet-of-things (IoT) devices will penetrate various industrial sectorsThis means that eventually a solution will be needed for network congestion and data transfer speeds.
6G should be able to solve these problems before they arise, potentially eliminating anetwork connection densityten times larger than before 5G, andmaximum data ratesup to fifty times faster than the speed of 5G. The US Federal Communications Commission has opened spectrum for experimentation and China has already launched a so-called 6G satellite, so 6G's true potential should be revealed in the next decade.
FAQs
In 2021, the number of mobile devices operating worldwide stood at almost 15 billion, up from just over 14 billion in the previous year. The number of mobile devices is expected to reach 18.22 billion by 2025, an increase of 4.2 billion devices compared to 2020 levels.
What percentage of the world's population use mobile devices? ›
The global smartphone penetration rate was estimated at 69 percent in 2023, up from 2022. This is based on an estimated 6.7 billion smartphone subscriptions worldwide and a global population of around 7.4 billion.
How many people have phones in the world in 2024? ›
Top Smartphone Ownership Statistics
As of 2024, the number of smartphone users is predicted to reach 7.1 billion. Currently, there are 6.84 billion smartphones globally.
How many mobile usage statistics? ›
Number of Smartphone Users Worldwide
As of 2024, an estimated 4.88 billion people own a smartphone. That's an increase of 635 million new smartphone users over the past year alone (between 2023 and 2024). Number of smartphone users worldwide grew by 2.15x since 2020, adding 2.61 billion new smartphone owners over time.
What are the statistics on mobile phone usage? ›
Time Spent Using Smartphones Annually
According to recent data, the average person spends 4 hours and 37 minutes on their phone every day. That's the equivalent of over 1 day per week or 6 days per month. Across a year, that's approximately 70 days spent looking at a phone.
How many mobile devices are used in the world? ›
According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), there were more than 8.58 billion mobile subscriptions in use worldwide in 2022, compared to a global population of 7.95 billion halfway through the year.
What percentage of the world population uses technology? ›
Key Internet Statistics
Out of the nearly 8 billion people in the world, 5.35 billion of them, or around 66% of the world's population, have access to the internet, according to Statista.
What will happen to phones in 2050? ›
By 2050, artificial intelligence (AI) will be deeply ingrained in the fabric of mobile phones, enhancing every aspect of user experience. AI-driven personal assistants will evolve into intuitive companions, capable of understanding and anticipating user needs with unprecedented accuracy.
Which country uses the most mobile? ›
Smartphone users by country worldwide 2022
In 2022, China had more smartphone users than any country in the world at more than 974 million. India had the second most smartphone users, amounting to around 659.
Which country has the largest number of cell phones? ›
China - 1.3 Billion
There are more than 1.3 cell phones in use in China, the highest number in the world. Cell phone use is ubiquitous both in urban and rural areas. What is this?
The number of mobile devices is expected to reach 18.22 billion by 2025, an increase of 4.2 billion devices compared to 2020 levels.
What are 5 facts about phones? ›
National Telephone Day: 10 mind-blowing facts about phones
- The first phone greeting was “Ahoy”
- Telephones weren't invented by Alexander Graham Bell.
- The smartphone was invented by IBM.
- The first SMS text message ever said “Merry Christmas”
- 100,000 payphones still exist in the U.S.
This statistic illustrates the share of Americans owning a smartphone, by age. As of March 2024, 95 percent of Americans aged 18 to 29 years owned a smartphone. The survey was conducted among 10,059 respondents.
How many people have phones in 2024? ›
Between 2016-2021, the number of smartphone owners has increased by 73.88%.
| Year | Smartphone Users | Growth Over Previous Year |
|---|
| 2023* | 6.974 billion | + 407 million |
| 2024* | 7.211 billion | + 247 million |
| 2025* | 7.434 billion | + 223 million |
| 2026* | 7.584 billion | + 150 million |
10 more rowsJun 13, 2024
By the end of 2023, almost 70 percent of the world's population were smartphone users. However, given that many people use more than one smartphone, the actual number of smartphone subscriptions exceeds the number of smartphone users.
Which phone is mostly used in the USA? ›
Apple is America's Favorite Smartphone Brand
The iPhone's success is so central to the company now, that Apple earns more than half of its revenue from its sales.
What percentage of the population is addicted to their phone? ›
Top Smartphone Addiction Stats
47% of Americans admit they're addicted to their phones. The average American checks their smartphone 352 times per day. 71% of people spend more time on their phone than with their romantic partner. Almost two-thirds of children spend four hours or more per day on their smartphones.
What percentage of internet users use mobile? ›
95.8% use mobile phones to access the internet. By comparison, almost 62.9% use laptops or desktops (Source: Statista). 4. In Q1 2023, global internet users spent 56.8% of their online time on mobile phones, showing an increase from the 54.7% spent in Q4 2021 (Source: Statista).
What percentage of 12-15 year olds own a smartphone? ›
| SHARE OF CHILDREN OWNING A SMARTPHONE IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2015, 2019 AND 2021, BY AGE |
|---|
| 2015 | 2021 |
|---|
| 12 | 41% | 71% |
| 13 | 50% | 72% |
| 14 | 59% | 91% |
8 more rowsSep 12, 2023
