Brazilian smartphone industry grows in Q3
The share of smartphones in the Brazilian mobile market has increased in the third quarter of 2015 despite the currently unstable economic conditions, according to research.
Statistics by polling firm Nielsen Ibope suggest that 76,1 million of the 125 million Brazilians who own a mobile device have smartphones.
The report indicates there has been a 48 percent increase in smartphone sales in Brazil in Q3 in relation to the same period last year.
Most of the devices have just over a year of use, with 27 percent of those polled saying that they want to replace their device within the next year.
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Some 24 percent of users are satisfied with their smartphones and don't intend to change it just yet.
According to separate research by mobile operator Oi, the lion's share in terms of age of smartphone owners is the group of up to 29 years old, with 53 percent of people within that age bracket owning such devices. Some 43 percent of those aged between 30-45 own a smartphone and for those over 45, the percentage drops to 24 percent.
When it comes to mobile Internet usage, 68 percent of the Brazilian smartphone owners polled by Oi do so via Wi-Fi networks most of the time. The Wi-Fi access typically occurs at public spaces and locations where it is provided for free.