49+ Smartphone Usage Statistics, Facts, and Trends [2023]

smartphone usage statistics
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Intrigued about the landscape of smartphone usage in 2023?

You’re in the right place.

We’ve gathered, categorized, and vetted a comprehensive list of the most up-to-date stats, facts, and trends for your convenience.

Let’s dive right in:

  • A full 96% of young Americans (18–29) are smartphone owners.
  • The average person checks their smartphone 58 times daily.
the average person checks their smartphone 58 times daily
  • Roughly 85% of Americans own a smartphone, a major increase from 35% in 2011.
  • Almost all Americans (97%) have a cellphone, either a smartphone or a non-smartphone.
  • There are about 6.92B smartphone users worldwide, accounting for 86.11% of the population. This figure will likely reach 7.33B by 2025.
there are ~6.92B smartphone users globally, with projections for 7.33B by 2025
  • There are 7.33B people using mobile phones (smartphones or non-smartphones) worldwide, accounting for 91.21% of the population.
  • In 2025, 72% of internet users will access the web exclusively through smartphones.
  • People typically spend 3 hours and 15 minutes per day on their phones.
people average 3 hours and 15 minutes daily on their phones
  • Nearly 15% of American adults rely solely on smartphones for internet access.
  • The global smartphone market is forecast to expand at a CAGR of 7.3% from 2022 to 2029, increasing its value from $484.81B to $792.51B.
  • Smartphone sales revenue in the United States reached ~$102B in 2022, but it’s predicted to decrease to $97.31B by 2027.
  • The global smartphone market revenue reached $418.88B in 2022.
Global Smartphone Revenue (2014–2022)In Billion US Dollars
2022418.88
2021448.08
2020381.72
2019404.60
2018410.09
2017391.84
2016367.18
2015359.37
2014325.53
  • In 2022, China boasted the highest number of smartphone users (over 974M). In contrast, Bangladesh had the lowest count, with 52.03M users.
Smartphone Users by Country (2022)In Millions
China974.69
India659
United States276.14
Indonesia187.70
Brazil143.43
  • The global smartphone penetration rate reached 68% in 2022, marking an increase for the first time since 2018, when it stood at 67%.
Global Smartphone Penetration (as a Share of the Population) from 2016 to 2022In %
202268
202167
202067
201967
201867
201766
201665
  • The United States has a smartphone penetration rate of 81.6% as of 2022.
Smartphone Penetration Rate in Chosen Countries (2022)In %
France82.60
United Kingdom82.20
Germany81.90
United States81.60
Japan78.60
Turkey75
Iran74.40
  • In 2022, smartphone sales in the US reached $74.7B.
Smartphone Sales in the US (2017–2022)In Billion US Dollars
202274.70
202173
202079
201977.50
201879.10
201769
  • The global smartphone unit shipments totaled 1,225.4M.
Global Smartphone Shipments (2017–2022)In Millions
20221,225.40
20211,391.50
20201,331.20
20191,479.10
20181,505.20
20171,566.50
  • On average, ~1,447.97M smartphones are sold annually.
  • The US recorded the shipment of around 128M smartphones in 2022, with an anticipated decrease to 110.56M by 2027.
Smartphone Shipments in the United States (2020–2027)In Millions
2027110.56
2026113.81
2025116.97
2024119.93
2023123.53
2022127.98
2021139.91
2020125.05
  • As of 2023, the average price for a consumer smartphone in the US is ~$720, while a business smartphone costs $824.
  • A full 95% of adults in the US aged 18 to 49 have a smartphone, while among adults aged 65 and older, the smartphone penetration rate is only 61%.
Smartphone Ownership in the United States by Age (2015–2021)18–2930–4950–6465+
202195958361
201996927953
201894897346
201794897346
201692887442
201586835830
  • In the US, 85% of men and women have smartphones.
  • During H1 2022, daily mobile device usage in the US increased by 8.9% compared to H1 2021.
  • The most common smartphone activity is chatting/sending messages (76%), followed by emailing (71%) and listening to music (61%).
Primary Smartphone User Activities Worldwide (Jul 2021 – Jun 2022)In %
Chatting or sending messages76
Emailing71
Listening to music61
Online banking61
Watching videos61
  • In 2022, US adults devoted 3 hours and 19 minutes per day to their smartphones, surpassing the time spent watching TV (3 hours and 7 minutes) for the first time. By 2024, adults will spend an additional 43 minutes on smartphones compared to TVs.
  • Mobile phones accounted for 58.32% of web page views globally in 2022.
  • The global count of smartphone mobile network subscriptions reached ~6.6B in 2022 and is projected to surpass 7.8B by 2028.
  • Global smartphone usage in 2022 averaged 15 gigabytes of mobile data per month, increasing from 11.8 gigabytes in the previous year. Projections anticipate this number to reach 19 gigabytes in 2023 and 45.9 gigabytes by 2028.
Global Mobile Data Traffic per Smartphone (2016–2028)In GB/Month
202845.91
202740.05
202633.77
202528.12
202423.10
202319.08
202214.99
202111.81
20209.10
20196.57
20184.76
20172.52
20161.86
  • Global monthly mobile data usage by smartphones in 2022 reached 86.7 exabytes, with growth from 64.8 exabytes in the previous year. Projections foresee a monthly mobile data traffic of 314.8 exabytes by 2028.

Mobile Operating Systems

  • Android continued to dominate as the top mobile OS globally in Q1 2023, capturing a market share of 71.4%. Apple’s iOS, its closest competitor, held a market share of 27.9%.
Global Mobile Operating System Market Share (2021–2023)AndroidiOS
1Q’2371.4427.89
4Q’2271.7527.64
3Q’2271.6427.71
2Q’2271.7227.58
1Q’2270.7828.46
4Q’2170.6228.66
3Q’2172.4726.70
2Q’2172.5826.60
1Q’2171.8827.41
  • Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android lead the US market with shares of around 57% and 43%, respectively.
Share of Mobile OS in the US (2023, Monthly Breakdown)iOSAndroid
Mar ’2356.9442.65
Feb ’2357.0642.61
Jan ’2357.7741.85
  • In May 2023, Android users accounted for 37.47% of the US population.
  • As of January 2023, around 25% of mobile Android devices worldwide use version 12 of Google’s operating system.
  • In February 2023, iOS 16 was installed on 81% of Apple devices accessing the App Store, while iOS 15 was running on 15% of mobile devices.

Smartphone Companies

  • The smartphone industry is primarily dominated by Apple (31.6%) and Samsung (25.28%), accounting for a combined market share of 56.88%.
Top Mobile VendorsGlobal Market Share (May 2023)
Apple31.6%
Samsung25.28%
Xiaomi11.12%
Oppo6.47%
Vivo4.87%
  • In 2022, smartphone shipments worldwide reached 1.21B units. Samsung emerged as the top manufacturer, shipping 261M units, closely followed by Apple (266.4M).
  • Samsung dominated as the top global smartphone vendor in Q1 2023, shipping over 60M units, while Apple’s shipments reached nearly 55M.
  • Apple’s global market share in smartphone shipments has remained steady from 2014 to 2022, while Samsung’s fluctuatated. In contrast, Xiaomi has increased its market share by nearly 10 percentage points since 2014, becoming the third largest vendor.
Global Market Share of Leading Smartphone Vendors (2019–2022)SamsungAppleXiaomi
202221.7018.7012.70
20212016.8014
2020201611
201920.90178.80

Smartphone Addiction

  • Globally, people spend 3 hours and 15 minutes daily on their phones.
  • In the US, the average daily phone usage time, excluding phone calls, has reached 4 hours and 30 minutes as of April 2022. It’s anticipated to rise to around 4 hours and 39 minutes by 2024.
Time Spent on Nonvoice Activities on Mobile Phones Daily in the US (2019–2024)In Minutes
2024279
2023276
2022270
2021264
2020256
2019225
  • The average person checks their smartphone 58 times daily.
  • Most Americans (89%) check their phones within 10 minutes of waking up.
  • Leaving one’s phone at home makes 75% of Americans feel uneasy.
  • About 75% of Americans check their phones within five minutes of getting a notification.
  • Over half of people (57%) admit to being addicted to their phones.
57% admit to being addicted to their phones
  • A significant majority (55%) report they’ve never gone over 24 hours without their cell phone.
  • Approximately 17% of women in the US have interrupted bedroom intimacy to check their smartphones.

Smartphone Use on Vacation

  • About 75% of American travelers regard their smartphone as the #1 travel accessory.
  • The majority of US travelers (71%) check their cell phones an average of 32 to 80 times per day, with 10% admitting to taking a peek about 160 times daily.
  • Close to 68% of employees use mobile devices for work while on vacation.
68% of employees use smartphones for work while on vacation
  • Roughly 62% of travelers acknowledge that using smartphones for work prevented them from relaxing and recharging their batteries.

Stacking It All Up

There you have it.

A comprehensive list of smartphone usage statistics, facts, and trends.

Let us know in the comments if there are any other stats you’d like to see.

FAQ

How many people have smartphones?

There are about 6.92B smartphone users worldwide, accounting for 86.11% of the population. This figure will likely reach 7.33B by 2025.

How much time does the average person spend on their phone?

People typically spend 3 hours and 15 minutes per day on their phones. In the US, the average daily phone usage time, excluding phone calls, is 4 hours and 30 minutes.

What percentage of the US has cell phones?

Almost all Americans (97%) have a cellphone, either a smartphone or a non-smartphone.

What’s the global penetration rate of smartphones?

The global smartphone penetration rate stands at 68% as of 2022, marking an increase for the first time since 2018 (67%).

Who dominates the smartphone market?

The smartphone industry is primarily dominated by Apple (31.6%) and Samsung (25.28%), accounting for a combined market share of 56.88%.

How often do people check their phones?

The average person checks their smartphone 58 times daily.

What’s the projected growth of the smartphone market?

The global smartphone market is forecasted to expand at a CAGR of 7.3% from 2022 to 2029, increasing its value from $484.81B to $792.51B.

How many smartphones are sold every year?

On average, ~1,447.97M smartphones are sold annually.

How common is phone addiction?

Over half of people (57%) admit to being addicted to their phones.

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