80% of People Will Own a Smartphone By 2020

According to research carried out by Swedish mobile telecom company Ericsson, 6.1 billion people are projected to own a smartphone by the year 2020. With the world population projected to reach 7.5 billion in 2020, 4 out of 5 people in the world will be using a smartphone in the next four years.

This staggering new statistic not only illustrates the growing demand for electronic devices that enable communication and “connectedness”, it also highlights an opportunity for tech startups – like our own, ChargeItSpot – to meet the evolving demands of the increasingly smartphone-dependent consumer.

Two-thirds of Americans¹ and Canadians² already own a smartphone and almost a quarter of Americans rely on their phone to access online services and information (because they lack broadband at home, for example). Smartphone ownership is particularly high among young Americans (18-29 age group), and those with relatively high income and education levels.

The Ericsson study also highlights that in addition to the increase in mobile phone subscriptions (every second, 20 new mobile broadband subscriptions are activated!), data consumption also continues to rise dramatically. And, as every smartphone user will tell you, the more data you use, the faster your battery will die. While there are plenty of tips and tricks to improve your battery life, the reality is that most smartphone-dependent people need to top off their phone several times a day to stay charged.

Enter ChargeItSpot. Our company was founded on the principle that free phone charging stations should be as ubiquitous as Wi-Fi, and as we enter 2016, we’re proud to have provided a free charge to over 1.5 million customers in 150+ retail locations across 18 U.S. states and Canada.

With the rapid rise of smartphone usage across the globe, tech amenities like ChargeItSpot’s phone charging stations provide consumers with a convenient – and free – way to stay charged and connected.

¹http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/01/us-smartphone-use-in-2015/

²http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Over-Half-of-Canadas-Population-Use-Smartphones-2015/1011759/