Christy Balita
Research expert covering the Philippines
Smartphone market in the Philippines - statistics & facts
In today's increasingly digital era, owning smartphone devices holds greater significance than ever before. These compact devices allow owners to connect to the internet in no time to access information, be entertained, purchase services and products, and reach their families. In the Philippines, an estimated 97 percent of Filipinos will use this device by 2029. Pent-up demand for affordable mobile devices, along with the amount of time spent on their smartphones, contributed to this market’s growth. Mobile devices played key roles in connecting or fostering relationships, especially in a country divided by over 7,000 islands. As more features were made available on such devices, owning a smartphone became crucial to the large population of internet-savvy Filipinos.
Despite this, Android remain as the leading mobile operating system in the Philippines as of January 2024. In addition, Android phone brands continue to dominate the market share of smartphone shipments to the Philippines, with Transsion taking the lead, followed by Realme. Android brands offer affordable 4G-enabled smartphones, and most of them have started rolling out 5G devices. Over the years, mobile brands have been partnering with telecommunication companies by offering bundling promotions that include getting a device and a mobile subscription, often resulting in increased sales.
Is the Philippines becoming an iOS nation?
Apple has surprisingly taken the lead among mobile phone vendors in the Philippines as of January 2024. What was once an Android-dominated nation has now been overcome by iPhone devices, which hold 14.33 percent of the market, compared to Oppo's 14.06 percent share. Apple also emerged as the leading mobile phone manufacturer in the Philippines in terms of median download speed, with the iPhone 15 Pro Max having the highest download speed during the fourth quarter of 2023. Whether iPhones will continue to lead the market is yet to be seen, as such devices are at a significantly higher price point compared to Android phones. However, data from Picodi as of September 2023 revealed that it would take an average Filipino worker about 80 working days to afford the latest iPhone model, which was the lowest number of days required since 2018.Despite this, Android remain as the leading mobile operating system in the Philippines as of January 2024. In addition, Android phone brands continue to dominate the market share of smartphone shipments to the Philippines, with Transsion taking the lead, followed by Realme. Android brands offer affordable 4G-enabled smartphones, and most of them have started rolling out 5G devices. Over the years, mobile brands have been partnering with telecommunication companies by offering bundling promotions that include getting a device and a mobile subscription, often resulting in increased sales.
Smartphone usage in the Philippines
With an average time spent of about nine hours per day, the internet use of Filipinos had been highest in the region. Smartphones, used not only as communications devices, have also become critical tools in today’s digital economy. Increasingly, smartphone users utilize their devices to purchase goods and services through various e-commerce websites and apps, as well as to access and manage their finances via digital banking apps. Smartphones were also the main device used for playing online games and accessing news and information.
