In its latest report, Strategy Analytics says that the number of smartphones in use worldwide surpassed the 1 billion-unit mark for the first time ever in Q3 2012. The research company says that it took 16 years for the industry to reach this historic milestone, whereas it expects that the new billion will be reached in less than three years, by 2015.
According to Senior Analyst Scott Bicheno, the world’s first modern smartphone, the Nokia Communicator, was introduced in 1996, giving the Finnish company an edge it used to dominate the industry for over a decade until the arrival of Apple’s iPhone in 2007. The iPhone revolutionized smartphone design, catalyzing industry growth in the process.
“By the third quarter of 2011, we estimate there were 708 million smartphones in use worldwide. After a further year of soaring demand, the number of smartphones in use worldwide reached 1.038 billion units during the third quarter of 2012,” Bicheno added…
[Via: CellularNews]