Romanians spend EUR 3 bln on smartphones in ten years

Romanians have spent about EUR 3 billion on smartphones in the last ten years, according to data from GfK cited by local Ziarul Financiar. The local smartphone market was only EUR 17 million in 2007. It then tripled to EUR 57 million in a single year. In the following years, the growth rate reached 20-50% per year, except for 2011, when sales almost doubled in value. The smartphone penetration rate is expected to exceed 50% this year. Half of Romania’s population will use the mobile internet in 2017, said Anca Zamfirescu, head of digital marketing intelligence within GfK Romania. The smartphone sales volume rose to over three million units in 2016. It is estimated to reach about 4.4 million units this year. About a third of Romanians accessed social media on their mobile phones last year. However, navigation services have not seen a spectacular growth among mobile phone users in Romania. editor@romania-insider.com