GOING by the latest insight from Ericsson ConsumerLab study, Smartphones adoption is expected to go into extinction in five years time.
In its place will be artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence is one exhibited by machines or software. It is also the name of the academic field of study, which studies how to create computers and computer software that are capable of intelligent behaviour.
According to the study, half of the respondents examined said they thought mobile technology would be redundant by 2021 as the growth of artificial intelligence starts enabling interaction with objects without the need for a phone or tablet.
According to Ericsson ConsumerLab’s Rebecka Cedering Angstrom, “A smartphone in the hand, it’s really not that practical. For example, not when one is driving a car or cooking. And there are many situations where display screens are not so good. Therefore, one in two thinks that smartphones will belong to the past within five years. The research lab surveyed 100,000 people across Sweden and 39 other countries.
Though, the United Nations put global population as at 2015 at 7.3 billion, the study disclosed that there are currently 1.9 billion smartphone users worldwide.
While record has it that about four million mobile phones enter Nigeria monthly, former Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Eugene Juwah, had put the number of smartphones in the country at a meagre 12 million. He called for more adoption to aid mobile ecosystem growth.
Meanwhile, the International Data Corporation (IDC) disclosed that 2015 would be the first full year of single digit worldwide smartphone growth. IDC predicted worldwide smartphone shipments would grow 9.8 per cent in 2015 to a total of 1.43 billion units. IDC updated its previous forecast to reflect slowing growth in Asia Pacific (excluding Japan), Latin America, and Western Europe.
IDC said the slower growth is expected to intensify slightly over the 2015-2019 forecast period and is largely attributed to lower shipment forecasts for Windows Phone as well as “alternative platforms” (phones running operating systems other than Android, iOS, and Windows Phone).
According to it, China has been the focal point of the smartphone market in recent quarters, as its economic slowdown has dampened worldwide growth due to the sheer size of the market. However, IDC maintained its view that China has largely become a replacement market. As a result, shipment growth in China is only forecast to be in the low single digits. The Middle East and Africa (MEA) region will see the highest growth in 2015 with shipments expected to increase nearly 50 per cent year over year, surpassing “hot growth” markets like India and Indonesia.
“With the smartphone market finally slowing to single-digit growth, maintaining momentum will depend on several factors,” said Program Director with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, Ryan Reith, “the main driver has been and will continue to be the success of low-cost smartphones in emerging markets. This, in turn, will depend on capturing value-oriented first-time smartphone buyers as well as replacement buyers. We believe that, in a number of high-growth markets, replacement cycles will be less than the typical two-year rate, mainly because the components that comprise a sub-$100 smartphone simply do not have the ability to survive two years. Offering products that appeal to both types of buyers at a suitable price point will be crucial to maintaining growth and vendor success.”
Research Manager with IDC’s Mobile Phones team, Anthony Scarsella, said as shipment volumes continue to slow across many markets, consumers will be enticed by both affordable high-value handsets as well as various financing options on pricier models.
Vendors will look to push device financing and trade-in options across many of the developed markets as growth in these markets is expected to primarily come from replacement purchases and second devices. Apple has taken the lead with its iPhone Upgrade Program, and several other vendors are expected to implement similar plans in the months ahead. These plans could represent the most effective way to get flagship devices into the hands of consumers while speeding up the upgrade cycle through trade-in and incentives”, Scarsella stated.