Smartphones are to date the most successful product ever devised. At present, over 86% of the global population owns at least one of these extraordinarily capable devices, and since the launch of the first iPhone approximately 18 billion such devices have been sold.
There’s good reasons behind why these sleek portable computers have done so well in the modern era. In effect, they brought computing to the masses. While the personal computer revolution can be traced back to the 1990s, even today only around 40% of people own such a device – under half that of smartphone owners.
Portability is a big reason for this, as is the flexibility of use-cases smartphones offer. In essence, while the most powerful part of today’s devices is their utility as a computer, it can be easy to forget that the smartphone represents the conclusion for a wide array of devices, from digital cameras to mp3 players – and of course, the cellular phone.
Combine this with intuitive touch inputs, and you have a product with far greater uses, and a much shallower learning curve, than anything that came before it. Nowadays, in light of their virtual preeminence in the tech sector, industries from across diverse markets have committed to investing heavily in producing products and solutions optimized for the mobile market. In light of this, here we’re going to take a look at the fastest growing examples of mobile sectors in 2024.
Gaming
Those unaccustomed to gaming on mobile could be forgiven for assuming things have progressed little since the days of Angry Birds – but in fact today’s smartphone is a powerful gaming device capable of giving home consoles a run for their money. It’s also a hugely lucrative wing of today’s industry, with over 50% of all revenue generated by gaming coming from smartphone titles.
Key to the success of the mobile platform as a gaming solution is its flexibility and wide array of offerings. In the app stores themselves one can find hundreds of thousands of distinctive and engaging titles ranging from indie puzzles to first party console ports. But some of the fastest growing subsets of the mobile gaming sector take place beyond the purview and strictures of the likes of the Google Play Store.
For example, browser gaming has seen a meaningful resurgence in its mobile forms thanks to the open internet offering mobile gamers high quality experiences they cannot access through other formats. Among these can be found the global iGaming sector, with reputable platforms such as PokerStars Casino furnishing tech-savvy aficionados with a growing array of slots experiences on-demand as well as the standard card and table fare.
With lightweight design and broad appeal, this sector has found a home on mobile platforms and has contributed significantly to the growth of the wider sector in recent years, particularly as mobile data connections open up new markets in developing regions.
Fintech
The modern smartphone arrived definitely on the scene in the wake of the global financial recession of the late 00s and new challenger banks looking to create more effective and direct financial products saw the great possibilities inherent to the burgeoning app ecosystem.
Nowadays, more people than ever patronizing one or more of these modern Fintech ‘app’ banks, such as Starling, Monzo and Revolut. By cutting red tape and giving people direct access to their finances right in their pocket, all safeguarded by biometrics, these providers have changed the rules of the game.
Fintech solutions in 2024 show no sign of slowing in popularity, particularly as the world moves increasingly towards cashless transactions with an ever greater emphasis on eCommerce. Fintech today encompasses a significant segment of modern digital finance, offering everything from enterprise tools to digital personal wallets and budgeting platforms for customers.
What’s more, with the rise of crypto currencies and blockchain tokens, leading Fintech platforms have found themselves optimally positioned to capitalize on the interest and invest growing around decentralized finance, ensuring the sector’s relevance and health for years to come.