What Countries Are Driving Revenues in the Global Online Smartphones Market?

Android or iOS? The question of which of the two operating systems one prefers has become a culturally defining theme, like cats vs. dogs or whether you like pineapple on Pizza. Here at ECDB, every smartphone is welcome. That is why every brand is included in the Smartphones category.

In any case, the willingness to buy a smartphone online is also related to where consumers are located. Some markets have higher online revenues in the Smartphones category than others. This is closely linked to another indicator of market maturity: the online share of smartphone sales. The interaction between the two variables differs from market to market.

Population Size Matters: Leading Countries in the Smartphones Market Are Also the Most Populous

China and the United States lead the ranking of the top countries in the online Smartphones category. Both have a similar online share of around 46.0%, but China’s revenue is much higher than that of the U.S.

The difference is partly explained by the fact that China's eCommerce market is about twice the size of the U.S., but it also suggests that China's overall Smartphones market is significantly larger. China's larger population (1.4 billion vs. 335 million in the U.S.) supports this.

Population size has an impact on revenue and online share in the Smartphones market. Take India, for example: India, now the most populous country, ranks fourth in Smartphones eCommerce despite a low online share of 10.3%. Similarly, Indonesia has the world's fourth-largest population and ranks third in the online Smartphones market.

Progressive Economies With Frequent Smartphones Purchases Follow

Another class of countries includes those that have fewer inhabitants than the very large ones, but are still significant in the online Smartphones market. In particular, Germany and Japan fall into this category, as does the United Kingdom, which has a smaller population than the previous two.

Their Smartphones market revenues range from US$6 billion to US$6.5 billion, with medium to high online shares. One explanation for their high ranking is the affluence of their populations, living in economies with the highest GDP where the acquisition of high-tech gadgets at regular intervals is the norm.

The revenue level drops off after the seventh place, and here the population combined with the online share becomes less conclusive. What is certain is the global appeal of smartphones, which have become indispensable to many people's daily lives. This makes it not only an indicator of personal preference and livelihood, but also an evergreen of a product category.