According to McKinsey, viewers who use their mobile phones to interact with TV shows are more likely to tune in again and to tell friends about the shows�interest that generates higher ratings and ad revenues. Broadcasters and advertisers should sit up and take notice -- McKinsey research suggests that viewers who use their mobile phones to send text messages to TV shows, either to vote in a competition or take part in a dialogue, are highly engaged and more likely to tune in again, to tell friends about the shows, and even to buy related merchandise. This added interest can increase ratings by as much as 20 percent for mainstream shows and 100 percent for niche ones � a message that many advertisers would be glad to receive. We asked 124 ad executives from 39 companies across Western Europe whether they would be willing to spend more money in channels offering this type of growth � for example, through new technologies such as SMS. More than half said that they would, and almost a third of the spending would represent new investment. Europe is ahead of other markets in experimenting with SMS-TV, and even at this early stage the extra revenues for broadcasters, mobile carriers, and technology providers added up to �400 million in 2003.
The global smartphone market closed 2025 with a story less about recovery and more about transformation. Premium product, ecosystem lock-in, and manufacturing scale are now the forces shaping competition. For business and technology leaders, the latest IDC market study data confirms that smartphones remain a critical indicator of consumer demand, supply chain health, and AI commercialization at the edge. Smartphone Market Development Global smartphone shipments grew 2.3 percent year-over-year in Q4 2025, reaching 336.3 million units and bringing full-year volumes to 1.26 billion units — a modest 1.9 percent annual increase, according to IDC. This smartphone growth emerged despite a memory shortage crisis, tariff volatility, supply chain disruption, and macroeconomic headwinds. What stabilized demand? Two factors: sustained growth in premium devices and strong foldable momentum, combined with accelerated purchases as consumers bought ahead of anticipated price increases. Buyers weren...