Five years after the first iPhone went onsale, the sales of smartphones – loosely defined as phones that can run third-party "apps", and access the internet directly – now make up nearly two-thirds of mobile phonessold in western Europe and north America, although only about half of mobile users in both regions own one. (The difference arises because some early smartphone adopters have upgraded a number of times, while many "featurephone" users have not.)

Analyists predict that in two years, 90% of mobile users will have no choice but to own smartphones – even if all they want to do is call and text.