Future of devices: emerging trends, evolving consumer behaviour and expanding digital services

From the shape and size of markets to trends in consumer behaviour, GSMA Intelligence aims to provide food for thought through informative visuals designed to bring colour and clarity to complex issues facing the industry. This chart highlights how replacement intention data from the GSMA Intelligence Consumer Survey suggests sales of smartphones will remain under pressure.

This edition of the Industry Checkpoint series focuses on consumer digital services, highlighting how the market has changed in the last six months and its implications. The report considers three major developments: AI deployments shifting increasingly from talk to action across digital services, powered by the rise of AI agents; the intensifying efforts by digital gaming providers to improve monetisation and expand access, strengthening the rise of cloud gaming; and falling barriers to content creation in extended reality, helping accelerate content development.

This edition of the Industry Checkpoint series focuses on consumer eSIM, highlighting momentum behind travel eSIM; new players launching eSIM-only MVNO services; operator efforts to expand eSIM use cases beyond smartphones; and operators using eSIM to target inbound travellers, including enriching connectivity with benefits that improve the wider visitor experience.