“The popularity of smartphones will continue to stair-step until they account for the majority of mobile phones worldwide in 2018, according to a new report from research firm eMarketer,” Don Reisinger reports for CNET.
“In 2016, 2.16 billion smartphones will be in use worldwide, marking the first time the devices have crossed the 2 billion milestone,” Reisinger reports. “By contrast, 1.3 billion smartphones were in use last year and 1.6 billion this year.”
“Perhaps more significantly, by the end of 2018, 51.7 percent of all mobile phones in use will be smartphones. That will be the first year that smartphones outpace phones sans operating systems.,” Reisinger reports. “That smartphones will officially overtake their more-basic counterparts is no small feat. For years, feature phones have been the most popular because of their affordability. Consumers in emerging markets around the world have also found it difficult to connect to the Internet, making a smartphone, which includes a Web browser, e-mail access and apps, an impractical expense. According to eMarketer, however, the scene is changing.”
Read more in the full article here.
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