A study by Baidu has predicted that there will be 6.1 billion smartphone users worldwide by 2020.
The predicted rise means that marketers must increasingly take a mobile-friendly approach if they are to communicate with these people effectively.
The research also found out that 60% of people use smartphones predominately for communication purposes, 23% as a companion, 9% for entertainment purposes and 8% as a social media device.
It also found that around 40% of smartphone users worldwide have 21-50 apps installed on their phone, although this figure dropped to just 6% in Asia where people typically have far fewer apps on their phones.
The current global smartphone penetration rate is 56%, according to separate research by ZenithOptimedia.Â
