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Out of all respondents who were mobile users, 62% reported they owned smartphones - a massive 18% growth in just one year. Saudi respondents indicated a 60% rate of ownership, with Egypt and Jordan clocking up 50%, according to the survey.
Marketing and communications firm JWT have compiled insights into how the mobile industry is developing, based on this year's GSMA Mobile World Congress (MWC).
JWT's "13 Mobile Trends for 2013" outlines key mobile trends, as well as implications for brands. The full version of the report also covers insights from interviews with several mobile experts and influencers.
"The mobile is moving well beyond its role as a phone and even as a communication device more broadly, becoming an enabler for a wide range of experiences, from TV viewing to shopping to banking," says Ann Mack, Director of Trend-Spotting at JWT. "In this respect, the mobile is evolving into a primary screen for consumers."
13 Mobile Trends for 2013
1. Maturation of machine-to-machine communication: As new partnerships and common standards develop, we'll start to see more consumer-facing applications of machine-to-machine (M2M) communication. As M2M connections proliferate and expand the Internet of Things, expect disruption in sectors and industries from energy to health care to urban planning.
2. The car as a mobile device: With the advent of in-car 4G, built-in Wi-Fi and more partnerships between apps and automakers, the automobile is turning into a speedy smartphone. The potential that advanced connectivity brings to cars for improved safety, myriad entertainment options, geo-local advertising, etc., is enormous.
3. Connecting the world: Mobile companies are focusing on connecting the next billion people, which will require not only cheaper handsets and data costs but a rethink of hardware design and software (apps, discovery, etc.).
4. Mobile as gateway to opportunity: Connectivity brings positive economic, political and social effects. On an individual level, the mobile is a tool that can help users do everything from basic chores to acquiring knowledge to running micro-businesses—leading many in emerging regions to see it as enabling upward mobility and a better life.
5. Revolutionising transactions: Mobile devices have the potential to revolutionise transactions, with no need for bank account details or credit cards. As mobile money slowly comes to fruition, it will make a major impact on developed markets—and an even bigger one in developing regions, where it's already broadening access to financial services.
6. Gen Z: mobile mavens: Since members of the youngest generation take mobile connectivity for granted, they have come to expect everything—information, products, friends, entertainment—to be instantly available in the palm of their hand. This mobile-informed outlook makes them more impatient, socially connected and constantly stimulated than any generation before—presenting a new challenge for marketers looking to engage with them.
7. A million ways to say hi: Today, the "telephone" element of the mobile is diminishing, and new messaging services are starting to take a bite out of traditional texts.
Steven Bond, Reporter
