Sales of smartphones saw a 20% increase to 1.5 million units in the first half, as many as in the entire 2013. The smartphone penetration rate stands at 50% at the moment, which means about 10 million Romanians are using such a device. If the growth rate continues, the penetration rate will reach 100% by 2020.
“About half of the mobile phone users un Romania use a smartphone. Considering the fast-paced smartphone adoption rate, the penetration rate will be headed to 100% in three or four years at most. It will never reach 100% because there will always be some people who use feature phones,” said Cristian Cojocaru, head of the telecom division of Samsung Romania, the local subsidiary of the world’s largest mobile phone manufacturer.
The entire mobile phone market stood at about 2 million units in volume and EUR315 million in value in the first half, with smartphones accounting for more than 90% of the value.
There were about 23 million active users of mobile telephony services in Romania last year, according to telecom market watchdog ANCOM. Out of them, some 11 million use smartphones, as mobile data services that smartphones rely on have come more affordable.
Smartphone sales have increased by more than 50% in the past five years, going from 600,000 units in 2011 to about 3.6 million units in 2015. The market has also increased at a double-digit rate in value, coming close to EUR600 million at the end of last year.
Sales of smartphones will reach about 4.2 million units while feature phones will see sales of no more than 1 million units in 2016, according to the estimates of Samsung, the local market leader with a market share of about 50%.
“The mobile phone market will probably reach some 5.2 million to 5.3 million units. I expect no more than one million feature phones this year and I estimate sales will amount to more than EUR820 million to EUR830 million.”
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)