India is ranked fifth in number of smartphone users and has shown one of the highest year-on-year growth rates (in smartphones). It, however, ranks second in the addition of new users to the Internet over the last five years, a report released by well-known tech analyst Mary Meeker has revealed.

Mary Meeker, a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caulfield and Byers, who released an updated “2012 Internet Trends” report, said, with 44 million smartphone users in Q4 of 2012, India is the fifth largest smartphone market globally. India follows China, the US, Japan and Brazil.

With just four per cent of the total mobile subscribers being smartphone users, the country’s year-on-year growth in smartphones is pegged at 52 per cent, higher than China and the US.

Globally, there are 1.1 billion smartphone subscribers as of fourth quarter of 2012, recording a 42 per cent growth.

Internet Users

Similarly, the report states that the 88 million Internet users added in the country over the last half a decade (2008-2012) constitute the second largest such addition during this period after China.

According to the report there are 137 million Internet users — a 26 per cent growth year-on-year. The population penetration rate for India stood at 11 per cent.

China, however, continues to dominate with 538 million users, adding 282 million Internet users during 2008-2012 and a population penetration rate of 40 per cent.

Globally, there are 2.4 billion Internet users with an eight per cent y-o-y growth and a population penetration rate of 35 per cent.

Around 902 million Internet users were added during 2008-12.

According to the report, mobile Internet usage surpassed desktop Internet in India around May this year, according to statistics from StatCounter.

With 13 per cent of global Internet traffic estimated from a mobile device — up from sub-10 per cent last year and just 4 per cent in 2010 — the rise would be higher with increasing smartphone and tablet ownerships.

The increase of mobile Internet brings monetisation opportunities: The mobile app (application) and advertising industry combined has made some $19 billion in revenue this year.

Back in the US, the iPhone and iPad are revolutionising the Web, in the same way that the iPod changed the global music industry, Meeker points out in her report.

The report estimates that iPad growth is growing at nearly six times the speed of the iPhone, which itself grew faster than the iPod. However, globally, it is Android that is making the big moves.

> abhishek.l@thehindu.co.in

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