Federica Laricchia
Research expert covering the global consumer technology industry
Smartphones in Germany- statistics & facts
In a world led by digitalization and connectivity, it is difficult to imagine a life without smartphones. Smartphones, mobile phones with more advanced computing capabilities and connectivity than regular mobile phones, came onto the consumer market in the late 90s, gaining mainstream popularity with the introduction of Apple’s iPhone in 2007. The iPhone revolutionized the industry, offering customer-friendly features such as a touchscreen interface and a virtual keyboard. The first smartphone running on Android was introduced to the consumer market in late 2008.
The smartphone market in Germany has been and continues to be dominated by Apple and Samsung phones, with each company occupying around 34 and 40 percent of the market respectively. Huawei has consistently held on to the third spot, with a range of other vendors making up the rest of the market. In terms of smartphone operating systems, Android is a clear winner, accounting for around 70 percent of the market. The year 2012 was a pivotal year for Android devices, overtaking Apple iOS as the leading mobile operating system. However, when looking at specific smartphone models, Apple’s latest products are often well-received and popular devices among German consumers.
Smartphones in Germany are used by individuals in both a consumer and a business context, with applications, or apps, facilitating an array of different purposes including access to social media platforms, health and wellness tracking, as well as mobile payments. The rise in smartphone capability has similarly resulted in a rise in mobile internet traffic, driven by the growing number of smartphone users who are connecting to faster networks and consuming greater volumes of data. This has posed new challenges for network and service providers, and the wider telecommunications industry in Germany as they look to supply this ever-growing demand.
Smartphones: an evergreen market
The global smartphone industry has been steadily developing and growing, both in market size, as well as in models and suppliers. Smartphone shipments worldwide reached around 1.2 billion units in 2022, with the number of smartphone users surpassing three billion globally. In Germany, the number of smartphone users has continued to grow in recent years reaching over 75 million in the country, with sales of the devices generating revenues of around 11,5 billion euros in 2022.The smartphone market in Germany has been and continues to be dominated by Apple and Samsung phones, with each company occupying around 34 and 40 percent of the market respectively. Huawei has consistently held on to the third spot, with a range of other vendors making up the rest of the market. In terms of smartphone operating systems, Android is a clear winner, accounting for around 70 percent of the market. The year 2012 was a pivotal year for Android devices, overtaking Apple iOS as the leading mobile operating system. However, when looking at specific smartphone models, Apple’s latest products are often well-received and popular devices among German consumers.
Many brands, apps, and capabilities for smartphone users
Analysis of smartphone consumption in Germany suggests that over 90 percent of those who use a smartphone are satisfied with the brand of phone they have chosen, with a third of users very unlikely to change the brand on the next possible occasion. Brand satisfaction and continuity allows smartphone users to make the most of the wide-ranging features that these devices can now offer, notably their ability to run software applications.Smartphones in Germany are used by individuals in both a consumer and a business context, with applications, or apps, facilitating an array of different purposes including access to social media platforms, health and wellness tracking, as well as mobile payments. The rise in smartphone capability has similarly resulted in a rise in mobile internet traffic, driven by the growing number of smartphone users who are connecting to faster networks and consuming greater volumes of data. This has posed new challenges for network and service providers, and the wider telecommunications industry in Germany as they look to supply this ever-growing demand.
