The global research and information firm, Kleiner Perkins Caulfield and Byers has come out with an updated report on ?2012 Internet Trends.?
As per the report, India ranks fifth in the number of smartphone users and has registered one of the highest year-on-year growth rates in the uptake of smartphones. However, the country ranks second in terms of addition of new internet users over the last five years.
Mary Meeker, partner, Kleiner Perkins Caulfield and Byers, says, ?With 44 million smartphone users in the fourth quarter of 2012, India is the fifth largest smartphone market globally, following China, the United States (US), Japan and Brazil.?
Further the report says that with just four per cent of the total mobile subscribers being smartphone users, India?s year-on-year (y-o-y) growth in the smartphone segment stands at 52 per cent, higher than China and the US. India has also added 88 million new internet users between 2008 and 2012 to become the second country to register highest number of internet users following China. Currently, in India there are 137 million internet users. In India, the mobile internet usage surpassed desktop usage in May 2012.
According to Kleiner Perkins Caulfield and Byers, globally, there are 1.1 billion smartphone subscribers as of fourth quarter of 2012. Further, there are 2.4 billion internet users worldwide with an eight per cent y-o-y growth and a population penetration rate of 35 per cent. China continues to dominate in the internet usage segment with 538 million users, adding 282 million Internet users during 2008-2012.
As per the report, going forward, the increase in internet traffic originating from mobile will be higher with higher adoption of smartphone and tablets. Currently, 13 per cent of the global internet traffic is being generated through mobile devices.
Further the increase of mobile internet has brought in monetisation opportunities. The mobile application and advertising industry together generated revenue of about $19 billion in 2012.
Meeker, says, ?Back in the US, the iPhone and iPad are revolutionising the web, in the same way that the iPod changed the global music industry.?
