Mobile broadband growth has become a key driver of smartphone sales in markets across developing economies, the mobile industry trade group has said.
[blockquote right=”pull-right” cite=”GSMA”]The report highlighted increasing demand for low-end smartphones, especially below-N8000 smartphones which is becoming a reality, as one of the factors influencing growth in the global smartphone market. [/blockquote]
A new GSM Association (GSMA) Intelligence report titled “Smartphone forecasts and assumptions, 2007-2020” has indentified mobile broadband connections in developing countries as one of the major factors driving the smartphone market.
It established a positive relationship between increase in mobile broadband connections and increase in smartphone adoption in the developing world.
The report also linked smartphone adoption in developing countries to the availability of data tariffs tailored for cost-conscious prepaid consumers.
The report highlighted increasing demand for low-end smartphones, especially below-N8000 smartphones which is becoming a reality, as one of the factors influencing growth in the global smartphone market.
It also highlighted factors such as operator-branded smartphones sold via operator retail channels as a key trend driving the low-end segment. Operator subsidies has also continue to play an important role in driving the adoption of high-end devices, but are being scaled back at lower price tiers, according to the report.
Meanwhile, smartphone growth is negatively impacted by taxation imposed on devices by governments, especially in price-sensitive developing economies, the report revealed.
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