Latest Developments in the Worldwide Smartphone Industry: Key Updates
Smartphones have become an integral piece of our daily lives, serving as the primary communication tool. The popularity of smartphones started off in 2007 with Apple's groundbreaking iPhone, marking a new era in mobile technology. This gadget was revolutionary, introducing features like a touchscreen and virtual keyboard that competed with the then-dominant BlackBerry and Symbian systems [Rykov].
Apple's leadership didn't last long as Google followed suit with the introduction of Android in late 2008. Since then, the smartphone market has been continuously growing [Rykov].
However, the market has hit a plateau recently. According to the IDC research company, global smartphone shipments have reached a total of 1.472 billion units, showing a very slight decrease from the 1.473 billion units in 2016 [Rykov].
While the market has become a duopoly dominated by Android and iOS [Rykov], Apple still has some of the most loyal customers. Around 92% of iPhone users planning to upgrade within the next year have shown a preference for staying with iOS [Rykov].
Smartphone users are now starting to benefit from artificial intelligence (AI) [Rykov]. By 2022, 80% of new smartphones will be equipped with AI capabilities, with features like predictive text and route suggestions becoming common [Rykov]. AI-powered smartphones will soon offer even more functionalities, such as "digital me" sitting on the device, user authentication, emotion recognition, augmented reality (AR), and personal photographing, among others [Rykov].
In the broader context, the development of smartphones started in the late 2000s, when Apple's iPhone and Google's Android revolutionized the market. The smartphone industry experienced rapid expansion, with Apple and Samsung becoming leading competitors for several years. The market matured around 2015, and the top smartphone vendors at the time remained the same throughout 2025. The global smartphone market reached billions of units in 2025, with Apple's cumulative iPhone sales growing significantly since 2007 [Enrichment Data].
Sources:- www.statista.com- enrichment-data (for more comprehensive historical context and market details)
Telecom companies are shifting their focus towards AI-equipped smartphones, anticipating that 80% of new models will feature AI capabilities by 2022. The smartphone market, once revolutionized by Apple's iPhone and Google's Android, has evolved into a duopoly dominated by Android and iOS, with Apple maintaining a loyal customer base.
