Ericsson Communications have predicted that smartphone growth in the UAE will continue to rise rapidly throughout 2014 and by 2019 half the region’s handsets will be smartphones. Ericsson’s latest Mobility Report once again proves that there is not a single other region that tops UAE smartphone penetration rates, and the speedy adaptation of this mobile technology has influenced almost every industry and individual. Smartphone users in the Middle East are contributing extensively to global mobile growth and this trend looks set to continue without reserve.
By 2019 Ericsson expects mobile subscriptions to reach 9.3 billion globally, with more than 5.6 billion of these subscribers utilising smartphones. A significant portion of this growth is expected to be attributed to the penetration of the smartphone market in the Middle East and Africa, as consumers in these regions have been exceptionally quick to swap standard handsets for smartphones.
After making a massive impression globally, smartphones have become more than a business tool; they have also become a popular mobile gaming device and have replaced consoles and traditional PC games at a fraction of the price. High end smart phones are particularly popular and are capable of running at the same capacity as a high powered PC or laptop. It’s these specs that have made them a preferred choice and users can conduct online business, run specialised software or even play games at specially optimised mobile sites such as www.ipadcasino.co.nz on a handheld device, negating the need for a PC, laptop or console.
The Middle East has been dominated almost exclusively by EDGE/GSM during 2013 with over 80% of the mobile subscriptions making use of this technology. However, going forward there are expected to be massive changes in mobile connectivity options and Ericsson is confident that by 2019 HSPA/WCDMA and LTE will represent at least an equal amount of subscriptions as GSM/EDGE does currently. The speed at which the UAE adapts to new technology is impressive and mobile traffic is set to increase 11-fold between now and 2019.
The Ericsson Communications Mobility Report firmly cements the UAE as one of the leaders in adapting to new technology and illustrates that the innovations created by top mobile communications brands are reaching an ever growing number of citizens both locally and on a global scale.
