Future of devices
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Smartphones, AI, immersion and beyond
Smartphones have reached saturation in all but the hardest to reach demographic groups in the US, Europe and advanced Asia. Apple’s recent revenue downgrade is, in part, a reflection of this reality. Ubiquity means it remains the focal point of the consumer internet economy – with no obvious end in sight. However, the range of connected devices is now greater than ever, which is reshaping how people interact with the digital world. The home has for several years been seen as the next frontier of device innovation, and survey numbers bear that out. We are now in the early stages of a 3rd wave, driven by AI and immersive entertainment in the form of VR, AR and eventually mixed reality. Smart speakers now, and the prospect of glasses in the next 5 years.
In this latest report from GSMA Intelligence, we present results from our global consumer survey covering 30+ countries and examine the competitive strategies of Amazon, Google and Apple, as well as a host of Chinese vendors. Indeed, a new form of platform war is emerging for new device categories. We explore how 5G presents a sea-change for device OEMs because of the speed upgrade and latency gains that bring AR and VR into play. Finally, we unearth a gap between consumer expectations of what 5G can do compared to what operators need it to do to drive a renewed growth story.
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Learn moreRelated research
Industry Checkpoint: consumer devices, Q3 2025
This edition of the Industry Checkpoint series focuses on consumer devices, highlighting how the market has changed in the last six months and its implications. The report considers four major developments: innovation expanding beyond smartphones to wearables and the smart home; smart glasses seeing a revival; chipmakers intensifying efforts with generative AI; and direct-to-device strategies increasingly becoming a regional play.
Capitalising on smartphones as the leading digital playground: five priority areas for OEMs
Today, smartphones are the leading digital playground. According to our consumer survey, almost 80% of smartphone users consume digital entertainment services, including video, music and games, on a weekly basis. How can smartphone OEMs capitalise on the prime position that their devices have in digital services consumption? In this report we lay out the five key areas here that smartphone OEMs should focus on. These include implementing bundling strategies, leveraging tech and network advances, and identifying the prime consumer segments for digital services.
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