For a slightly US-centric, very rock n roll take on the mobile stats of last year, sit back and enjoy this great summary from mobilefuture.org:
Among the key highlights:
More and more apps:
- ONE BILLION apps downloaded worldwide each month
- $3 BILLION paid by Apple alone to independent apps developers.
Surge in use of social media mobile platforms
- 166 PERCENT increase in Facebook Mobile users in the first half of 2011 alone.
- 103 MILLION wireless tweets were posted each day
- ONE BILLION Foursquare check-ins.
- 26 PHOTOS were made “hipstery” on Instagram every second
Ongoing explosion in data traffic:
- EIGHT TRILLION texts were sent – up 1.1 trillion from last year
- 1800 PERCENT increase in traffic on US networks in four years
Unprecedented competition and choice:
- MORE SMARTPHONES purchased than PCs in the United States
- MORE WIRELESS SUBSCRIPTIONS than people (Europe too!)
- TWO BILLION networked mobile devices by 2015
- 4G SERVICES being rolled out by at least six carriers in 2011 alone (and this is SLOW compared to a lot of the rest of the world!)
Massive potential for job creation and economic growth:
- 2.4 MILLION American jobs supported by wireless
- $27.5 BILLION investment in U.S. mobile networks by wireless carriers
- 500,000 JOBS & $400 BILLION to U.S. GDP from building out 500 MHz of additional spectrum for mobile