Australia - Mobile Communications - Smartphones, Tablets and Handset Market

Australia - Mobile Communications - Smartphones, Tablets and Handset Market

Smartphone use in Australia continues to grow among consumers. There has also been a change in the popularity of certain handsets, with a marked shift towards Android based-phones at the expense of Apple, though the latter brand commands a core of devotees which guarantee sales as well as interest in new devices such as the iWatch. The Android platform is buttressed by the large number of manufacturers and styles available, which provides for a wide range of pricing points.

Smartphones and tablets are routinely used to access the internet, and are becoming a dominant internet access among the younger demographic. In addition, these devices are beginning to dominated overall e-commerce, accounting for about a third of e-commerce transactions. This proportion will increase into 2016 in line with the availability of devices with larger screens, more mobile-friendly websites and easier payment systems. In sum, these devices account for a growing proportion of mobile data accessed and of business and commerce related transactions. Smartphone penetration approached 85% by mid-2015, while surveys have shown that about 60% of respondents have a tablet. These overall figures will increase steadily into 2016 as a greater number of competitively priced units hit the market, and as the reach of LTE networks widen: by the end of 2016, both Optus and Telstra are expected to provide 98% population coverage with LTE, while Vodafone already provides about 96% metro population coverage.

This report provides statistics and an analysis of trends in the Australian handset market. It also details mobile device recycling, as well as industry developments.

Key developments:

Rapid growth in phablet sales impacts tablet market; smartwatch market expected to show strong growth further into 2015; enterprise mobility market increasing in value; tablet penetration approaches 50%; smartphone penetration showing sustained growth; Australian police force adopts tablets on the beat; smartphone market developments, market share, handsets, tablets, recycling of phone materials, 4G/LTE network expansion, consumer use of smartphones and devices; report includes 2014 and 2015 surveys, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report include:

Apple, Nokia, BlackBerry, HTC, Google, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, Vodafone, 3, VHA, Optus, Telstra, Mobile Muster, Motorola.