Since the first iPhone came out from Apple in 2007 and revolutionized the mobile phone industry, sales of smartphones in Romania have reached EUR3 billion, according to market research company GfK data. The smartphone penetration rate should go beyond 50% this year. Back in 2007, the smartphone market stood at EUR17 million and in only one year tripled to EUR57 million. After that, it continued to grow at a rate of 20% to 50% except for 2011, when sales almost doubled.
“Sales of smartphones in Romania have reached EUR3 billion since 2007. We estimate we will see half of the population using Internet on their phones in 2017,” said Anca Zamfirescu, head of digital marketing intelligence with GfK Romania at ZF Mobilio 2017.
The smartphone sales volume in the past five years went from about 500,000 units to more than 3 million in 2016. This year’s estimate is some 4.4 million units.
The smartphone penetration rate increase and the more and more affordable mobile Internet offers have allowed the development of an entire ecosystem that includes mobile applications.
“We’re seeing not only the smartphone and mobile Internet penetration rate going up over the last few years but also the usage. Telekom users mostly use mobile Internet for social networks and access to entertainment,” said Frantisek Mala, chief commercial officer consumer segment at Telekom Romania.
Waze is one of the applications with the highest impact in Romania.
Social networks and multimedia apps such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and YouTube, and transport apps such as maps and navigation – Google Maps, Waze and taxi apps – Clever Taxi, Star Taxi etc., or alternative transport apps – Uber and Taxify, are among the most used mobile apps in Romania.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)