The real-time counter on the GSMA Intelligence website shows the constant rise of mobile phone subscribers worldwide.
The market is huge and there's plenty of money to be made, but there's a design challenge for manufacturers.
"How do you differentiate a rectangular block with a touchscreen, a battery and a camera?” said Ben Wood, chief of research at CCS Insight. “What we've seen at Mobile World Congress is some of the manufacturers addressing that with some of the launches they've delivered."
Mobile World Congress, one of the world's biggest mobile shows, is taking place through Thursday in Barcelona.
The cool factor
For Sony, the focus is on the phone's camera. Its Xperia X phone has a camera that is ready to take a picture in less than 0.6 second.
For LG, the new G5 has a modular design and an assortment of attachments that add battery life and upgrade the phone's camera function.
For Samsung, the Galaxy S7 has a larger battery and the ability to add memory — as much as 200 gigabytes.
The price point
But these gadgets cost a lot, so manufacturers in China and India are coming out with cheaper smartphones.
"We are seeing a swing from developed markets to developing markets,” said Neil Mawston of Strategy Analytics. “So, more Chinese brands. More Indian brands. And I think, potentially, also more African brands in the future, as well."
But with cameras that can shoot 360 degrees, another opportunity is opening up: virtual reality. Samsung is already pairing its phone with VR goggles.
The VR key
"These are the devices that are going to generate loads of content,” Wood said, “and user-generated content is going to be key to driving the market."
Manufacturers are hoping that, very soon, almost everybody will want a set of VR goggles for gaming, exploring distant places or mingling with friends and family who are not physically present. And connectivity may soon be available to new areas.
"We are, this year, going to launch our first satellite over Africa in order to be able to work with operators to extend connectivity and beam down Internet there," said Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook.
CCS Insight predicts that by the end of this year, consumers will buy as many as 13 million virtual reality headsets.
Vocabulary
real-time: 实时的
名女人:帮你横扫人生七大沮丧时刻
哲理故事:移石
活在当下:每一天都是全新的开始
患难朋友见真情A Friend in Need
走过柳园Down By the Salley Garden
人生路上,你可能会需要这样几句话
你需要我You Needed Me
余光中:《尺素寸心》(节选)
现代小诗:非马《午夜弥撒》
自信成就一切Self
悼念:波兰女诗人维斯瓦娃·辛波丝卡
每个女人都该知道的十件事
心灵鸡汤:在监狱中悟出的人生哲理
心灵鸡汤:工作和娱乐Work and Pleasure
心灵鸡汤:友情与爱情的区别
包裹人生Life Comes in a Package
白色情人节特供:那些流淌在心中的爱情箴言
有声美文:我的另一个家
心灵鸡汤:单身男女情人节过节攻略
5句话解开真爱密码:20,30和40
心灵鸡汤:如何找到你的Mr.Right
心灵鸡汤:励志诗篇If 如果
心灵鸡汤:揭秘关于自己的七个事实
心灵鸡汤:我们需要朋友We Need Friends
坚持做20件小事,你的人生大不同
希腊神话:爱神丘比特的故事
心灵鸡汤:幸福路上的十道坎
关于生活态度的英语谚语名言
心灵鸡汤:巴菲特致股东的信
有那么一天,Sometimes the Day Comes
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