Emerging Markets Will Generate 58% of Smartphone Sales in 2012-2017. Research in Focus: Smartphones

Summary Emerging Markets Will Generate 58% of Smartphone Sales in 2012-2017 Smartphone Research in Focus Q2 2013 More than half of the world's smartphones were sold in emerging markets in 2012. Globally, smartphone unit sales grew at a CAGR of 52.7% between 2008 and 2012, reaching 641m. Looking forward, smartphone sell-through will increase at a CAGR of 18.3% through 2017, reaching 1.5bn units. Our Smartphone Research in Focus, published quarterly, examine trends in the global smartphone market, providing data and analysis on sell-through, operating systems, growth rates, average selling prices and revenue. The reports analyze developments in the various regions of the world as well as in the seven largest markets, while providing data on a set of 14 countries. To put smartphones in a wider context, they also look at the overall handset market. Key Findings More than half of the world's smartphones were sold in emerging markets in 2012. Globally, unit sales grew at a CAGR of 52.7% between 2008 and 2012, reaching 641m. Looking forward, smartphone sell-through will increase at a CAGR of 18.3% through 2017, reaching 1.5bn units. Global handset sell-through, meanwhile, reached 1.6bn units in 2012. We project that the figure will rise to 2.3bn by 2017, translating into a CAGR of 4.9%. As for Android-powered smartphones, we expect sell-through will grow at a 20.5% CAGR from 2012 to 2017, when the OS will take 59% of total sell-through. Smartphone ASPs will continue to decline across all regions, albeit at a slightly slower -7% CAGR. Overall, global smartphone revenue grew by almost 25% in 2012, generating just under $160bn or close to 70% of global handset revenue. Synopsis NA