Number of Mobile Phones Exceed the Number of People Worldwide

April 3rd, the momentous phone call back in 1973 by Motorola engineer Martin Cooper marks the 50th anniversary of the mobile phone. His first phone call to this rival at Bell Labs, Joe Engel, was the first ever call on an actual mobile phone. This call was made on a prototype that later developed into Motorola DynaTAC, as recalled by Cooper.

According to the reports, Cooper's call on the very first mobile phone was a pivotal moment in the history of mobile communication. It also marked the beginning of new era. As the GSMA reports further added, mobile phones have earned a universal badge, with over 5.4 billion people worldwide having at least one subscription.

The reports found that there are currently more mobile phone subscriptions than people on the earth, as the former one overtook the latter in 2016. According to the news by International Telecommunication Union (ITU), there will be more than 8.58 billion mobile subscriptions in usage worldwide in 2022 compared to a world population of 7.95 billion half its way through the year.

As per the reports, the smartphone's revenue amounted to USD 0.48tn in 2023. And the market is expected to grow at 2.54 percent CAGR (2023-2028) annually.
 

                             

   South Korea: Mobile Subscriptions by Technology Generations (0/0), 2020-2025

Aarti Dhapte
Aarti Dhapte
AVP - Research
A consulting professional focused on helping businesses navigate complex markets through structured research and strategic insights. I partner with clients to solve high-impact business problems across market entry strategy, competitive intelligence, and opportunity assessment. Over the course of my experience, I have led and contributed to 100+ market research and consulting engagements, delivering insights across multiple industries and geographies, and supporting strategic decisions linked to $500M+ market opportunities. My core expertise lies in building robust market sizing, forecasting, and commercial models (top-down and bottom-up), alongside deep-dive competitive and industry analysis. I have played a key role in shaping go-to-market strategies, investment cases, and growth roadmaps, enabling clients to make confident, data-backed decisions in dynamic markets.
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