The China-U.S. Smartphone Gap Grows Larger

Smartphones are so popular here that it’s difficult to avoid seeing one, and in China, these devices are poised to become even more widespread.

This year, China will account for 26.5 percent of all smartphone shipments, compared to 17.8 percent in the United States, according to a forecast by the International Data Corporation, a research firm. China has surpassed the United States in smartphone sales in the past. However, only in the first quarter of this year did it become clear that the smartphone gap between China and the United States would become a “long-lasting gulf that won’t be bridged,” said Kevin Restivo, a senior research analyst with IDC. What’s driving the spike in China? Cheaper Android smartphones priced below $200, like those made by Huawei, according to IDC.

[And maybe, just maybe, the fact that the population of China is 1.3 billion and the population of the US is 311 million]