NPD’s newest Smartphone Quarterly report released on November 25 2013 estimated the smartphone sales would be 1.8 billion in 2017, 82% of total mobile phones. In Q3 2013, smartphone penetration rate was 55%, and the compound annual growth rate in the next five years would reach 21% while non-smartphone would decrease at an annual rate of 16%.

A large part of the growth of smartphone in the next five years will come from Asia-Pacific area, especially China. Smartphone sales was expected to increase 63% in 2013, and China would occupy 30% global smartphone market in 2017. NPD DisplaySearch analyst Tina Teng said that international smartphone brands and entrance-level smartphone drove the growth of smartphone in new markets. As the price of smartphone dropped, more and more smartphone fresh users would change their mobile to a higher-class smartphone.

The most popular screen size in 2017 might be between 4 to 4.9 inches, but smartphone with over 5 inches screen would occupy 38% market share by volume. Smartphone with HD screen was estimated to own 43% market in 2017. And quad-HD screen smartphone will be launched in 2014, it might occupy 16% market in 2017.

4G smartphone would continue to occupy more market share with global internet speeding up, it would own 41% of smartphone sales in 2017. 3G would still own 51% of smartphone market by volume in 2017.