ASIAN Geographic

Lost Without You

Many can’t imagine living a day without their mobile phones. Mobile penetration rates are soaring around the world and the ubiquity of the mobile device has heralded the decline of public payphones that many relied on to stay connected. 52% of global web traffic comes from mobile phones and its use has given rise to entire industries and created jobs for many.

According to Gartner intellignce data from February 2019, the global number of unique mobile subscribers in 2017 is 5.1billion and is projected to reach 5.8 billion in 2025. [1] 2.8 billion of them are in APAC alone, which is expected to have 3.16 billion mobile subscribers in 2025. (excludes countries in CIS & MENA) The mobile penetration rate in APAC stands at 67% – same as that globally. However, the mobile penetration rate in developed Asian countries is much higher: Singapore’s is 147.3% in August 2018[2] and Hong Kong’s reached 232% in April 2015.[3] What this means is on average, every person in Singapore has 1.5 mobile phones and every person in Hong Kong has 2.

Originally developed to serve as a portable phone, the mobile phone has evolved into such a sophisticated and multi-functional device that it has become an integral part of many people’s life. The myriad of functions it can perform has cultivated our heavy reliance on it. We no longer need a watch or clock as we rely on it to tell the time and set alarms. We use it to get updates on news, traffic conditions and weather. Who needs radio, television or newspapers for these? We use it to order food when we are hungry. We use it to book tickets and hotels and plan our trips when we go overseas. We use it book a car when we are rushing to get to a destination. We use it to watch videos, listen to music and play games when we need entertainment. We use it to communicate with our family and friends. We use it to purchase every imaginable goods or service. We use it

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