As cable content expands internationally and flows to more smart devices, China’s poised to surpass the U.S. this year to become the largest smartphone market, according to ABI Research. Brazil and India also will be among the top 4 smartphone markets by 2018, with Russia climbing from 11th this year to 7th by that time.  
 
In fact, by 2018 the top 5 countries will account for 51% of worldwide smartphone shipments while Brazil, Russia, India and China (often known as the “BRIC” countries) will account for 33% of those shipments. By 2018, Western Europe and North Americas’ share of smartphone shipments will be 33% (equal to BRIC) and down from 39% in 2013.
 
“When you look at operating system share in emerging markets, you tend to find that Android has been busy fulfilling its mission to bring the Internet to consumers who can’t afford a traditional PC or Laptop,” said ABI Research senior practice director Jeff Orr.
 
It’s an interesting time for cable as it ports content to 2nd-screen devices. While the 2nd screen remains mostly a complement to traditional viewing in the U.S., it may become more of a primary screen for emerging markets as consumers there continue to adopt smart devices at a dizzying rate. Time will tell…

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