Evolving consumer trends: smartphone upgrades, circularity, and the rise of smart devices

According to our latest GSMA Intelligence Consumer Survey conducted in August 2024 across 12 of the world’s key telecoms markets, 77% of smartphone users are looking to replace their smartphones, with 68% of them contemplating doing so in the next two years.

Moving beyond smartphones there is growing consumer interest in wearables and smart home devices. Smartwatches lead wearables interest, with around 30% of consumers owning one, but there is also growing consumer interest in new wearable form factors such as smart glasses and smart rings.

This datapoint is from Anshu Goel, Lead Research Analyst at GSMA Intelligence, exploring evolving consumer behaviour in regards to consumer devices like smartphones including attitudes towards smartphone circularity and the impact of AI on devices.

Check out our latest report Evolution of devices: prospects for growth, interest in sustainability and the rise of AI which explores consumer behaviour with devices across areas such as smartphone ownership and replacement rates, smartphone brand loyalty, preferred sales channel for smartphones, purchase drivers, interest in refurbished devices, and ownership of wearables and smart home devices at https://data.gsmaintelligence.com/research/research/research-2025/evolution-of-devices-prospects-for-growth-interest-in-sustainability-and-the-rise-of-ai

Full recording: Telecom 2025: Trends and Innovations Shaping the Digital Landscape

The telecoms industry and wider digital ecosystem are evolving at an unprecedented pace, with new technologies and market dynamics reshaping the landscape daily. In this fast-moving market, understanding key trends is essential to staying competitive and capturing emerging opportunities.

Our 2025 Research Themes focus on three critical areas driving advancements and innovation: technology, monetisation, and impact. Across these areas, the themes aim to explore the key trends and address pressing questions shaping the digital landscape, highlighting their implications for stakeholders. In this complimentary webinar, our experts Peter Jarich and Pablo Iacopino discussed 2025 topics shaping the industry and driving our focus:

  • 5G-Advanced and its role in unlocking new use cases.
  • The transformational impact of AI in telecoms and beyond.
  • The outlook for new technologies such as Network APIs, Open RAN, NTNs and eSIM.
  • The rise of Digital Industries and the associated opportunity.
  • The evolution of consumer technology and its impact on telcos.
  • Monetisation paths for B2C and B2B