Thursday, Jan 19, 2017

Smartphones and tablets make up more than 80 per cent of connected devices in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region compared to more than 60 per cent globally.

“Smart mobile devices will rapidly become universally adopted throughout the world, enabling innovative smart services, which will transform emerging economies,” said Ian Fogg, director at research firm IHS Technology.

He said that mobile devices and services are now the hub for people’s entertainment and business lives, as well as for communication. The smartphone has replaced the PC as the most important smart connected device.

The global smartphone installed base will grow from four billion in 2016 to more than six billion smartphones in use by 2020.

Fogg said that mobile innovations, new business models and mobile technologies are transforming every adjacent market as the mobile industry diversifies from the maturing smartphone market.

Revenues for smartphones shipped in 2020 will total $355 billion.

He said that consumer spending on mobile apps is set to reach $74 billion by 2020 up from $54 billion in 2016.

The Middle East, Africa and Latin America will be the fastest-growing regions for mobile app spend. Africa and the Middle East will grow at an average rate of 18 per cent each year to 2020.

Messaging and communications apps such as Line and WhatsApp will grow from five billion users in 2016 to 7.5 billion by 2020.

Jack Kent, director at IHS Technology, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America will be the fastest- growing regions in the next four years. There are many opportunities for new apps, mobile payments and mobile money services. Asia, notably, will continue to play the number one role in the global apps market — accounting for more than 50 per cent of consumers’ spending.

Over The Top messaging and communications apps such as Line and WhatsApp boasted an aggregate audience of more than five billion active user accounts at the end of 2016. This will grow to almost 7.5 billion by 2020. Africa and the Middle East will be the fastest-growing region at an average rate of 10 per cent to 2020, ahead of the global average 8 per cent rate.

By Naushad K. Cherrayil Staff Reporter

Gulf News 2017. All rights reserved.