Dialing Down Calls: How Smartphones Are Transforming to Digital Hubs in Germany
Smartphone usage for callings decreases significantly. - Mobile usage is significantly decreasing for call-making purposes.
The landscape of phone usage in Germany is undergoing a seismic shift, with calls taking a backseat to digital communication. In 2024, outgoing mobile calls in the country dropped from 163 billion in 2021 to 145 billion minutes, as reported by the Federal Network Agency in response to a dpa inquiry.
The decline in traditional, fixed-line calls has been even more pronounced. From a peak of 104 billion minutes in 2020, the annual figure for landline calls plummeted to just 57 billion minutes by 2024.
But fear not, those ringing tones haven't vanished completely. The shift is towards messaging apps like WhatsApp, Signal, and Threema, as well as other internet services. The minutes spent on audio calls through these platforms surged from 121 billion in 2022 to a staggering 197 billion in the recent year. Video calls are also on the rise, climbing from 143 billion in 2022 to 184 billion in 2024.
In our everyday interactions, plain-old conversations are being swapped for chat messages—be they texts, photos, voice messages, videos, or emojis. Last year alone, a mind-boggling 902 billion instant messages were sent within Germany's digital spheres, marking a 11 billion increase from the year prior.
As for the devices catalyzing this revolution? Smartphones, of course. With 94.2% of internet access devices being smartphones worldwide, it's these sleek devices that have become the digital Swiss Army knives of our daily lives. In tech-savvy Germany, boasting high 5G coverage (93.85% as of January 2025), these smart tools are indispensable.
- Smartphone
- Mobile phone
- Germany
- Smartphone penetration
- Mobile data coverage
- Federal Network Agency
- Bonn
- 5G coverage
- Signal
- Threema
- Instant messaging
- Economy
- Technology
Contextualizing the Shift
While the data is less apparent regarding the decline of traditional calls and the rise of messaging platforms in Germany, broader trends from around the world offer insightful perspectives.
- Smartphone Usage and Mobile Data Coverage:
- Rising global popularity of smartphones for internet access.
- High levels of mobile data coverage in Germany enhance the use of data-intensive services like messaging apps.
- Shift in Communication Preferences:
- Worldwide trend towards increased use of smartphones for digital services like messaging, rather than traditional voice calls.
- Generational factors influencing communication preferences.
- Messenger and Instant Messaging Services:
- Growing global popularity of messaging and instant messaging services.
- High mobile data coverage in Germany supporting these services.
- Economic and Technological Context:
- Stable inflation rates in Germany and their impact on consumer behavior.
- Advancements in technology such as the growth of 5G coverage in Germany.
Given the global trends, it is reasonable to suggest that the prominence of messaging services over traditional calls may be mirror image of the German population. However, specific data on this shift within Germany remains elusive.
- The surge in smartphone usage in Germany, a country with high 5G coverage, has facilitated the shift from traditional voice calls to digital communication, such as messaging apps like WhatsApp, Signal, and Threema.
- As part of the global trend, there's an increasing preference for using smartphones for digital services like messaging, indicating a possible correlation between smartphone penetration and the decline of traditional calls in the lifestyle of German communities.
