Mobile Data Traffic Trends for Handsets and Smartphones

Smartphones to Transfer More Traffic than All Enhanced Phones in 2010

Research Report

Mobile phone handsets are significantly more versatile than the category name suggests. Enhanced phones enable calendars, address books, still photos and even basic driving directions. The smartphone segment - having adopted larger displays and mobile applications processors capable of consuming rich media content - continues to grow in importance relative to the other handset segments. At the same time, low-cost and ultra low-cost handsets are emerging to enable mobile voice services at all income levels.

A 2009 ABI Research study detailed global and regional trends in mobile data traffic for handsets, embedded computing, modems and routers, and consumer electronics devices. ABI Research found that handsets and smartphones transferred more than 335 Petabytes (PB) of information during 2008. In 2014, that figure is expected to rise more than five times to nearly 1,940 PB. This Research Report further explores the growth of mobile data traffic by handsets and smartphones from 2008 to 2014.

Table of Contents

  • 1. METHODOLOGY AND ASSUMPTIONS
    • 1.1. Handset Category Definition
    • 1.2. Methodology
      • 1.2.1. Published Data Sources
      • 1.2.2. Traffic Metrics
      • 1.2.3. Wireless Protocols
      • 1.2.4. Mobile Data Traffic Types and Usage Scenarios
    • 1.3. Assumptions
  • 2. MARKET FORECASTS
    • 2.1. Total Mobile Data Traffic from Handsets and Smartphones
    • 2.2. Mobile Data Traffic by Type of Handset
    • 2.3. Handset and Smartphone Data Traffic by Air Interface Protocol
    • 2.4. Handset and Smartphone Data Traffic by Application Type
    • 2.5. Monthly Subscriber Traffic Transfer Rate for Handsets and Smartphones
      • 2.5.1. Smartphones
      • 2.5.2. Enhanced Phones
      • 2.5.3. Low Cost Handsets
      • 2.5.4. Ultra Low Cost Handsets

Tables

  1. Mobile Network Data Traffic from Handsets and Smartphones, by Region, Forecast: 2008 to 2014
  2. Total Mobile Network Data Traffic from Handsets by Form Factor, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2014
  3. Total Mobile Network Data Traffic from Handsets and Smartphones, by Air Interface Protocol, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2014
  4. Total Mobile Network Data Traffic from Handsets, by Application Type, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2014
  5. Average Monthly Mobile Network Data Traffic from Smartphones, by Region, Forecast: 2008 to 2014
  6. Average Monthly Mobile Network Data Traffic from Enhanced Phones, by Region, Forecast: 2008 to 2014
  7. Average Monthly Mobile Network Data Traffic from Low Cost Handsets, by Region, Forecast: 2008 to 2014
  8. Average Monthly Mobile Network Data Traffic from Ultra Low Cost Handsets, by Region, Forecast: 2008 to 2014

Charts

  1. Mobile Network Data Traffic for Handsets and Smartphones, by Region, Forecast: 2008 to 2014Market Update
  2. Mobile Network Data Traffic for Handsets and Smartphones, by Region,Forecast: 2008 to 2014
  3. Mobile Network Data Traffic by Type of Handset, Forecast: 2008 to 2014
  4. Total Mobile Network Data Traffic from Handsets and Smartphones, by Air Interface Protocol, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2014
  5. Average Monthly Mobile Network Data Traffic from Smartphones, by Region, Forecast: 2008 to 2014
  6. Average Monthly Mobile Network Data Traffic from Enhanced Phones, by Region, Forecast: 2008 to 2014
  7. Average Monthly Mobile Network Data Traffic from Low Cost Handsets, by Region, Forecast: 2008 to 2014
  8. Average Monthly Mobile Network Data Traffic from Ultra Low Cost Handsets, by Region, Forecast: 2008 to 2014

Figures

  1. Determining Active Devices with Mobile Data Plans
  2. Data Measurement Metrics