Basic phones, feature phones and data terminals like tablets, dongles and routers will account for the remaining connections, it added. ”The smartphone has sparked a wave of global innovation that has brought new services to millions and efficiencies to businesses of every type,” GSMA Chief Strategy Officer Hyunmi Yang said. Smartphones will be the driving force of mobile industry growth over the next six years, with one billion new smartphone connections expected over the next 18 months alone, Yang added. ”As industry evolves, smartphones are becoming lifestyle hubs that are creating opportunities for mobile industry players in vertical markets such as financial services, healthcare, home automation and transport,” Yang said.

The report forecasts that by 2020, four out of every five smartphone connections worldwide will come from the developing world. Asia Pacific accounted for about half of global smartphone connections, even though smartphone penetration in the region is currently pegged to be below 40 percent.

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