54% of the population worldwide own a smartphone. These smartphones have become integral to our daily lives, from early-morning alarms to late-night calls and social media scrolling.
The popularity of smartphones took off with the launch of Apple’s iPhone in 2007. Later, Android took over the smartphone market with more affordable variants and unique features.
Let’s explore all the latest figures related to smartphones, their usage, market share, shipments, and more.
Smartphone Statistics 2024 (At A Glance)
- 4.3 billion people worldwide own a smartphone.
- There are around 6.94 billion smartphones worldwide.
- The United States has over 310 million smartphone users.
- 85% of Americans say they own a smartphone.
- There are around 3.6 billion Android users worldwide.
- There are over 1.46 billion active iPhone users worldwide.
- Most Americans spend 3 hours and 15 minutes a day on their phones.
- The global smartphone shipments reached 1.17 billion units in 2023.
- 780.7 million 5G smartphones are estimated to be shipped in 2024.
- Foldable smartphone shipments increased by 16% YoY in the first half of 2023.
Number Of Smartphone Users
Over 1 in 2 people worldwide own a smartphone. These devices are always in our hands or our pockets, and it is impossible to imagine a life today without them.
How Many People Own A Smartphone?
4.3 billion people worldwide own a smartphone. That is approximately equal to 54% of the global population.
Source: GSMA.
How Many Smartphones Are There?
There are around 6.94 billion smartphones worldwide. That’s approximately similar to 85% of the 8 billion global population.
However, note that this does not mean that 85% of people worldwide own a smartphone, as many smartphone users worldwide own more than one smartphone.
Further, according to estimates, there will be 7.07 billion smartphones worldwide by the end of 2024.
The following table displays the number of smartphones recorded over the years.
| Year | Number of Smartphones |
|---|---|
| 2027* | 7.69 billion |
| 2026* | 7.51 billion |
| 2025* | 7.30 billion |
| 2024* | 7.07 billion |
| 2023 | 6.84 billion |
| 2022 | 6.57 billion |
| 2021 | 6.37 billion |
Source: Ericsson, The Radicati Group
The United States Has Over 310 Million Smartphone Users
This number is estimated to reach 316.2 million in 2024.
The penetration rate of smartphone users in the United States quickly increased from 56.75% to 92.72% between 2014 to 2023. Further, in the next five years, 97% of Americans are expected to own a smartphone.
The following table displays the number of Smartphone users recorded in the United States over the past year.
| Year | Smartphone users in the United States |
|---|---|
| 2028* | 331.8 million |
| 2027* | 328.2 million |
| 2026* | 324.4 million |
| 2025* | 320.4 million |
| 2024* | 316.2 million |
| 2023 | 311.8 million |
| 2022 | 307 million |
| 2021 | 302 million |
| 2020 | 296.8 million |
Source: Statista 1, Statista 2.
How Many Android Users Are There?
There are around 3.6 billion Android users worldwide. This number was around 3.3 billion in 2022.
The United States alone has 144.01 million Android smartphone users, but Android is more popular in Brazil, Indonesia, India, and Turkey.
Source: App My Site.
How Many iOS Users Are There?
There are over 1.46 billion active iPhone users worldwide.
According to the predictions, 1.56 billion users will own iPhones worldwide by the end of 2024.
Smartphone Revenue
Smartphones Are Estimated To Generate A Global Revenue Of $542.47 Billion By 2028.
In 2023, the smartphone segment generated a revenue of $479.03 billion.
Further, the revenue generated worldwide is forecasted to increase by $63.4 billion between the forecasted period of 2023 to 2028. That’s an approximate increase of 13.24% in revenue within four years.
Hence, by 2028, the smartphone segment is expected to generate a revenue of $542.47 billion.
The following table displays the revenue generated by the Smartphone segment over the years.
| Year | Smartphone revenue |
|---|---|
| 2028* | $542.47 billion |
| 2027* | $522.67 billion |
| 2026* | $503.06 billion |
| 2025* | $485.34 billion |
| 2024* | $467.6 billion |
| 2023 | $479.03 billion |
| 2022 | $453.88 billion |
| 2021 | $481.2 billion |
| 2020 | $423.59 billion |
| 2019 | $453.7 billion |
| 2018 | $422.89 billion |
Source: Statista.
Smartphone Shipment
The Global Smartphone Shipments Reached 1.17 Billion Units In 2023.
That’s an increase of 3.2% in the shipment units compared to 2022. Further, the shipments are estimated to increase by 3% in 2024 and reach 1.20 billion.
The global smartphone market witnessed an exceptional growth between 2009 and 2016. During this time, smartphone shipments increased from 173 million to 1.47 billion.
The following table displays the smartphone shipments recorded over the years.
| Year | Number of smartphone shipments |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 1,166.9 million |
| 2022 | 1,205.5 million |
| 2021 | 1,354.8 million |
| 2020 | 1,281.2 million |
| 2019 | 1,372.6 million |
| 2018 | 1,404.9 million |
| 2017 | 1,465.5 million |
Source: Statista, Counterpoint research.
Smartphone Market Share By Operating Systems
Android and iOS dominate the global smartphone OS market. Android is the clear winner with over 70% of the market share, followed by iOS with over 29%.
Android Has A Worldwide Hold Of 69.94%, Whereas iOS Holds 29.31%
Most smartphone users prefer Android as it is an open-source system and is available at an affordable price, while iOS is preferred due to its user interface and security.
Other top players in the smartphone OS market are Samsung, KaiOS, and Windows, with 0.36%, 0.16%, and 0.02% of the market share, respectively, as of 2024.
The following table displays the Android vs iOS Market share.
| Year | Android Market share | iOS market share |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 69.94% | 29.31% |
| 2023 | 70.48% | 28.8% |
| 2022 | 72.37% | 26.98% |
| 2021 | 70.01% | 29.24% |
| 2020 | 72.48% | 26.91% |
| 2019 | 74.13% | 24.79% |
| 2018 | 75.16% | 21.98% |
| 2017 | 73.54% | 19.91% |
Source: Statscounter.
Android Owns The Highest Smartphone OS Share In Africa Of 85.33%
Meanwhile, Android holds just 41.23% of the share in North America.
Conversely, iOS holds the highest market share of Smartphone OS in North America.
The following table displays the Smartphone OS market share owned by Android and iOS in different regions worldwide.
| Region | Android Market share | iOS market share |
|---|---|---|
| Asia | 79.84% | 19.38% |
| Europe | 66.22% | 33.3% |
| Africa | 85.33% | 12.7% |
| North America | 41.23% | 58.3% |
| Oceania | 42.89% | 56.13% |
Source: Statscounter.
Smartphone Market Share By Vendor
Apple Holds The Highest Smartphone Vendor Market Share Of 29.32%.
Samsung follows Apple with 23.69% of the market share, while Xiaomi managed to grab 11.91% of the smartphone vendor market.
The following table displays the market share of different vendors in the smartphone market.
| Vendor | Market share |
|---|---|
| Apple | 29.32% |
| Samsung | 23.69% |
| Xiaomi | 11.91% |
| Oppo | 5.61% |
| Vivo | 5.02% |
| Realme | 3.64% |
| Huawei | 3.58% |
| Motorola | 2.16% |
| Others | 15.07% |
Source: Statscounter.
Smartphone Market Share US
Here are insights into the smartphone vendor and operation system markets of the United States.
iOS Dominates The Smartphone OS Market In The United States, With 61.3% Of The Share
Meanwhile, Android owns just 38.21% of the Smartphone OS market in the United States. Other OS used in the country are Samsung, Windows, and Linux.
The following table displays the market share of different smartphone Operating systems.
| Smartphone OS | Market share |
|---|---|
| iOS | 61.3% |
| Android | 38.21% |
| Samsung | 0.29% |
| Windows | 0.08% |
| Linux | 0.03% |
| Others | 0.09% |
Source: Stats Counter.
Apple Owns The Highest Share Of 61.3% In The Mobile Vendor Market In The United States
Samsung follows Apple with a share of 22.06%. Other popular Smartphone vendors in the United States are Motorola, Google, and Xiaomi, with a market share of 3.5%, 2.37%, and 1.16%, respectively.
Source: Stats Counter.
5G And Foldable Smartphone Statistics
5G is the fifth generation of the mobile network, which is now adopted globally. It is designed to connect almost everyone and everything, including machines, objects, and devices.
Let’s uncover further details about 5G smartphones and foldable smartphones.
780.7 Million 5G Smartphones Are Estimated To Be Shipped In 2024
5G smartphones have a penetration rate of 59% as of 2023. This number is predicted to reach 82%, and over one billion 5G smartphones will be shipped by 2027.
Factors like urbanization, rising population, and increased awareness are the major drivers that have led to an increased adoption of 5G smartphones worldwide, leading to increased shipments.
The following table displays the volume of 5G smartphone shipments worldwide.
| Year | 5G smartphone shipments |
|---|---|
| 2027* | 1,031.8 million |
| 2026* | 980.3 million |
| 2025* | 883.5 million |
| 2024* | 780.7 million |
| 2023 | 657.6 million |
| 2022 | 629.2 million |
| 2021 | 545.8 million |
| 2020 | 238.8 million |
Source: Statista.
North America Is Leading The 5G Adoption Worldwide, With An Estimated 61% Subscription Penetration Rate
Other regions like North East Asia, GCC countries, and Western Europe had a 5G penetration rate of 41%, 34%, and 25%, respectively.
Besides, India is witnessing a higher-than-expected 5G penetration rate of 11%.
North American and GCC countries are forecasted to have the highest 5G penetration rates of 92% and 85% by 2029.
Source: Ericcson.
Foldable Smartphone Shipments Increased By 16% YoY In The First Half Of 2023
10 vendors in the worldwide market have launched foldable smartphone models, and 17 different models have been launched so far in the market.
Source: Ericcson.
Time Spent On Smartphones
An Average Person Spends 3 Hours And 15 Minutes On Their Smartphone Daily.
Meanwhile, 20% of smartphone users spend more than 4.5 hours on average on their smartphones.
Besides, an average American spends 5 hours and 24 minutes daily on their mobile device, while less than 5% spend less than an hour on their smartphones.
Source: Rescue Time, Gitnux.
Smartphone Usage Statistics
On average, Americans check their phones 144 times a day. This has decreased by 58% compared to 2022.
74.7% Of Smartphone Users Prefer Using Their Smartphones To Chat Or Send Messages
Most people worldwide prefer to use their smartphones for socializing, entertainment, managing their finances, and more.
Meanwhile, some users use their smartphones for online shopping, e-commerce, education, acquiring new skills, etc.
The following table displays how users spend their time on smartphones.
| How users use their smartphone | Percentage of smartphone users |
|---|---|
| Chatting or sending messages | 74.7% |
| E-mailing | 70.95% |
| Online banking | 62.9% |
| Listening to music | 61.7% |
| Watching videos | 61.1% |
| Searching for products | 56.7% |
| Buying products | 56.6% |
| Uploading videos or photos | 54.55% |
| Reading news pages | 52.3% |
| Making internet calls | 47.45% |
| Using online map/navigation services | 46.7% |
| Watching movies/series | 44.85% |
Source: Statista.
7 In 10 People Sleep With Their Phones At Night
55% of smartphone users said that they needed their smartphones on the nightstand while sleeping, while 13% slept with their smartphones in bed.
As a result, 89% of people check their phones within 10 minutes of waking up.
This excessive usage has led to phone addiction in over half of smartphone users worldwide, which leads to mental health as well as physical health problems.
Source: CNET, Bank of America, CBS News.
Users Check Their Smartphones 58 Times Per Day
That’s equal to checking their smartphones almost two and a half times per hour. Most people check their smartphones every 15 minutes, even if they do not receive a notification.
Source: Fortune Well, ecoATM.
Conclusion: 4.3 Billion People Have Smartphones Worldwide
Considering the growth rate of smartphone users, it is evident that over 60% of people worldwide will own at least one smartphone by the end of 2025.
Further, Smartphones are expected to play a major role in the upcoming years with the adoption of smart home devices worldwide.
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