The rise of mobile technology goes from strength to strength with new gadgets, apps and programs changing the way we all complete tasks on a daily basis. The recent publicity surrounding the “Flappy Bird” game highlights how the global technological landscape has shifted from traditional desktops/laptops to smartphones and tablets. This is further reinforced by user statistics and predictions from industry experts who all point to mobile technology being the future locally, nationally and globally.
The mobile market recently reached the 1 billion mark in terms of smartphone shipments, an increase of 38% from 2012. This has largely been fuelled by the ever growing demand for smartphones in Western Europe and North America but also heightened demand from emerging markets in Asia and South America. Many industry experts are now predicting that the global smartphone shipments will double by the beginning of 2015. On a domestic level, 75% of all mobile phone users in the UK will have a smartphone by the end of 2014, signalling that mobile technology is here for the long term.
With Android still leading the way in terms of the dominant mobile platform, many people are now dubbing Android as the “Windows of the mobile market”. It is easy to see why, with Android capturing almost 80% of the mobile platform market. Samsung leads the way as the largest mobile device manufacturer globally and coupled with Apple, accounts for nearly 94% of the smartphone market.
Another contributory factor with the rise in mobile technology here in the UK is the rollout of super-fast 4G on a national scale. With the mobile operator, EE, reporting that over 2 million customers took up 4G contracts before the end of 2013, accessing information quickly has never been this easy. With other mobile providers offering 4G coverage to their customers, mobile technology will be the dominant industry for years to come.
From a business perspective, the shift in the mobile landscape has made for very interesting consumer trends. For instance, 85% of mobile consumers use their phone while shopping in store and by 2015 mobile users are expected to spend around £128 billion in mobile commerce each year. With more and more businesses realising that having a mobile presence is a necessity, now is the time for businesses to incorporate mobile apps and mobile websites into their marketing mix.