[Redcoat]

One thing I've noticed locally is that some people who previously had touchscreen phones - some being smartphones based on iOS and Android but some others being proprietary OS' (especially cheaper models) - have when buying their new phone gone back to getting a non-touchscreen model. The reply as to why they've done so is that they felt that touchscreen phones didn't give them enough of a personal response and that the benefits of having the larger screen didn't make up for it, or that now that they carry a tablet like the iPad or Nexus 7 with them, having a high-spec smartphone with touchscreen display isn't as important. These people, although older in general (mid-40's upwards but does include a couple in the late 20's and 30's) aren't exactly technophobic. They still update Facebook, Twitter etc. and do mobile browsing with the new phone that in terms of features would have been in the mid-to-upper-range in around 2005-07 and are happy with it.

Thinking about it, touchscreen phones have now been commonplace for a good five years now and I'd reckon that anyone who wanted such a mobile phone who is already a mobile phone user would have got one by now. Those unconvinced by them are probably not going to get one for the foreseeable future in most cases, while the majority of those buying the latest touchscreen models doing so replacing an old touchscreen model, leaving only those who haven't had a mobile phone before as being a target to increase the percentage of sales touchscreen phones have over non-touchscreen models - the main one being teenagers getting their first mobile phone. Just from my own anecdotal evidence gathering, this "churn" of touchscreen phone users going back to those with tactile keypads is in the region of 10%, being held buoyant by the first-time-teen market combined with a slow progression by previous refuseniks.

So is it me or is the touchscreen smartphone market, by association, hitting a plateau which will only increase in terms of users and market share very slowly as non-smartphone touchscreens are slowly falling out of favour as flip-phones did a few years ago after being everywhere at one point?

[Step666]

Smartphone adoption is not only growing, it's supposedly accelerating, with worldwide smartphone sales surpassing those of non-smartphones earlier this year.
With nigh-on every smartphone being a touchscreen phone, it's safe to say they definitely haven't plateaued.

[whoever,hey]

I dont know how anyone but market researchers could know this answer.

[Redcoat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Step666

Smartphone adoption is not only growing, it's supposedly accelerating, with worldwide smartphone sales surpassing those of non-smartphones earlier this year.

I can see it certainly growing in developing countries, but I was thinking more closer to home where it's more mature.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Step666

With nigh-on every smartphone being a touchscreen phone, it's safe to say they definitely haven't plateaued.

But the share will only grow if a new touchscreen smartphone is replacing a non-touchscreen phone. If it is replacing an old touchscreen smartphone, then it depends what happens to that old phone as to what happens - if its sent to say a "money for your mobile" recycle business then it will quite likely be taken out of circulation, if it's sold second hand, then what is that phone replacing etc. At some point it'll reach a saturation point with a minority group never wanting to be interested in a mobile phone over than say to talk with and maybe the occasional text message. Plenty of non-touchscreen phones are still sold especially in the PAYG end (and not necessarily for PAYG use only, some are used with a sim-only contract).

[Step666]

UK Smartphone penetration was measured at 58% at the end of last year and is expected to pass the 75% mark in 2016.
So even closer to home, it hasn't plateaued.

[BT@home]

So its a bit like saying, has 4 wheeled cars hit a plateau, after all the number of robin reliant cars being replaced is declining rapidly.

[finbaar]

In a word - no they have not. Sorry, four words.

[Redcoat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BT@home

So its a bit like saying, has 4 wheeled cars hit a plateau, after all the number of robin reliant cars being replaced is declining rapidly.

Hardly a decent comparison, four wheeled cars have been around for as long as they're have been combustible engines attached to them - three-wheelers have never been anything more than a very small minority of cars e.g. the 60's and 70's roads weren't full of people driving Reliant Robins!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Step666

UK Smartphone penetration was measured at 58% at the end of last year and is expected to pass the 75% mark in 2016.
So even closer to home, it hasn't plateaued.

Have you a source for those figures? They don't look unrealistic but I'd just like to know who's measuring them.

[Step666]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redcoat

Have you a source for those figures? They don't look unrealistic but I'd just like to know who's measuring them.

I just Googled 'UK smartphone penetration'.