15 Biggest Cell Phone Companies in the World

In this article, we will be taking a look at the 15 biggest cell phone companies in the world.

To say that the cellphone and telecommunications industry has evolved significantly over the last few decades, and particularly the last decade, would be a massive understatement. While definitely not the first smartphone, when the iPhone first launched in 2007, smartphones were considered to be the exception rather than the norm. 15 years later, smartphones have taken over the world, with estimates suggesting that more than 6 billion people own a smartphone, a number which no one would’ve predicted back in 2007.

With the rise of smartphones and global connectivity, the telecom industry has grown as well. While GPRS was the only form of internet available in the early days of cellphones, where you would be lucky to open Google after several minutes of trying. Now, 5G is taking over the world and the telecom sector has been focusing on additional wireless and fiber deployment to meet the ever-increasing demand from customers. There has also been an increased focus on multi-access edge computing not to mention private cellular networks as the market continues to gain momentum. Even though this market is still relatively new, competition is increasing even as the market continues to expand.

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Another factor that the telecommunications sector has to consider is the ever-increasing risk of cyber security, which is leaving customers vulnerable. This is especially true for 5G, which while continuing to expand, brings with it a new host of issues and concerns regarding vulnerability to hackers. That’s one of the reasons why investors are flocking into cybersecurity stocks. Meanwhile, cellphone producers have also now started to produce cellphones which are compatible with 5G, though generally this is true for only flagship series of most cellphone models.

According to Grand View Research, the global telecom industry was worth approximately $1.7 trillion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.4% from 2021 to 2028. The number of mobile subscribers is soaring and ever since the pandemic, this number has skyrocketed. With the pandemic restricting most people to their own homes and the acceptance of work from home increasing to an unprecedented level, communication primarily took place through internet connections and mobile phones as opposed to face-to-face meetings, which has resulted in an additional boon for the biggest cellphone companies in the world (see 10 best telecom dividend stocks to buy).

To determine the biggest cellphone companies in the world, we decided to consider the biggest names in the industry, based on their Fortune Global 500 rankings. We have then considered the total revenue, total profit, total assets and the number of employees for each company. We have then assigned 40% weightage to revenue and profit, while assigning 20% weightage to total assets and the number of employees. Based on the aforementioned criteria, we have then created composite rankings for the biggest cellphone companies in the world. We used multiple criteria rather than a single one, to come up with more accurate possible rankings. So, let’s take a look at the companies which have dominated the industry, starting with number 15:

15. Orange S.A. (NYSE:ORAN)

Total revenue (in millions of dollars): 50,275

Total profits (in millions of dollars): 276

Total assets (in millions of dollars): 122,877

Total number of employees: 139,698

Orange S.A. (NYSE:ORAN) is a French multinational telecommunications company. Among the services provided by Orange S.A. (NYSE:ORAN) are landline, internet, IPTV services and of course, mobile. While initially known as France Télécom, Orange S.A. (NYSE:ORAN) rebranded to its current name in 2013.

14. KDDI

Total revenue (in millions of dollars): 48,486

Total profits (in millions of dollars): 5,986

Total assets (in millions of dollars): 91,297

Total number of employees: 48,829

One of three Japanese companies in our list of biggest cellphone companies in the world, one of KDDI’s major achievements is working with five other companies to building a 60Tbits/s undersea data transmission cable which linked Japan to the United States. The cable started operations in 2016.

13. China United Network Communications

Total revenue (in millions of dollars): 50,828

Total profits (in millions of dollars): 978

Total assets (in millions of dollars): 93,400

Total number of employees: 242,661

One of three Chinese companies in the list, China United Network Communications is a state-owned telecom operator in China, and provides various services including Internet services, local calling, data communication, long-distance and mobile networks.

12. Telefónica

Total revenue (in millions of dollars): 46,439

Total profits (in millions of dollars): 9,621

Total assets (in millions of dollars): 124,175

Total number of employees: 104,150

One of the biggest cellphone companies in Europe, Telefónica is a Spanish company which boasts multiple major brands such as O2, Vivo and Movistar.

11. América Móvil, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE:AMX)

Total revenue (in millions of dollars): 49,702

Total profits (in millions of dollars): 9,490

Total assets (in millions of dollars): 82,588

Total number of employees: 181,205

América Móvil, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE:AMX) may be listed in the United States, but it is incorporated in Mexico. With more than 277.4 million wireless subscribers globally, América Móvil, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE:AMX) is easily among the biggest cellphone companies in the world.

10. Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHTR)

Total revenue (in millions of dollars): 51,682

Total profits (in millions of dollars): 4,654

Total assets (in millions of dollars): 142,491

Total number of employees: 93,700

Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHTR) is an American telecom company. Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHTR) is also considered to be the second biggest cable provider in the United States while Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHTR) has over 26 million customers in 41 states,

9. SoftBank Group

Total revenue (in millions of dollars): 55,384

Total profits (in millions of dollars): -15,205

Total assets (in millions of dollars): 391,604

Total number of employees: 59,721

While SoftBank isn’t purely a cellphone company, telecommunications do make up a major part of the group’s operations. The third largest wireless carrier in Japan, SoftBank Group boasts more than 45 million subscribers. The company also runs the biggest technology-focused venture capital fund in the world, which has over $100 billion in capital while investors include sovereign wealth funds from rich countries in the Middle East.

8. Vodafone Group Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:VOD)

Total revenue (in millions of dollars): 52,932

Total profits (in millions of dollars): 2,425

Total assets (in millions of dollars): 170,479

Total number of employees: 96,941

Vodafone Group Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:VOD) is a British telecommunications company and has operations and networks in at least 22 countries while also operating partner networks in 48 additional countries. In addition, Vodafone Group Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:VOD)  also provides telecommunications and IT services to corporate clients in close to 150 countries. While its revenue declined in 2021 as compared to the previous year, the company did see an increase in net income.

7. China Telecomunications

Total revenue (in millions of dollars): 83,596

Total profits (in millions of dollars): 1,935

Total assets (in millions of dollars): 155,818

Total number of employees: 394,600

The second biggest cellphone company in China, China Telecommunications is a state-owned telecommunications company which has three listed companies: China Communications Services Corporation Limited, China Telecom Corporation Limited and Besttone Holding Co. Limited. It was sanctioned by the United States as per an executive order by President Donald Trump which resulted in the company being delisted in 2021. In October 2021, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission revoked the company’s operating license and in 2022, designated its U.S. subsidiary to be a national security threat.

6. Deutsche Telekom

Total revenue (in millions of dollars): 128,631

Total profits (in millions of dollars): 4,937

Total assets (in millions of dollars): 320,210

Total number of employees: 216,528

Deutsche Telekom is the largest cellphone and telecommunications company in Europe. It is a German company, and operates multiple subsidiaries across the globe, and is the owner of one of the biggest mobile communications brands in the world in T-Mobile. The total stakes held by the German government, either directly or indirectly, were 31.9% in April 2020.

5. Nippon Telegraph and Telephone

Total revenue (in millions of dollars): 108,216

Total profits (in millions of dollars): 10,514

Total assets (in millions of dollars): 196,543

Total number of employees: 333,840

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone is a Japanese company headquartered in Tokyo, and the biggest cellphone and telecommunication company in the country. It is also the third largest company in the country by market cap, and the Japanese government currently owns about a third of the total shares of the company.

4. Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA)

Total revenue (in millions of dollars): 116,385

Total profits (in millions of dollars): 14,159

Total assets (in millions of dollars): 275,905

Total number of employees: 189,000

Often said to be among the most hated companies in the United States, there is still no doubt that Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) is easily among the biggest cellphone companies in the world. The largest home provider in the United States, Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) has often earned the ire of the government as well regarding deceptive practices, including misleading advertising. Just to understand the depth of criticism of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA), the company has a separate entry on Wikipedia just detailing its criticism from various bodies and consumers.

3. Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ)

Total revenue (in millions of dollars): 133,613

Total profits (in millions of dollars): 22,065

Total assets (in millions of dollars): 366,596

Total number of employees: 118,400

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) was established in 1984 after the at-the-time AT&T Corporation was mandated by the United States Department of Justice to break up the Bell System into seven different companies. Since its establishment, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) acquired AOL in 2015 and Yahoo! Inc in 2017. Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) is the biggest wireless carrier in the United States reporting more than 120 million subscribers at the end of 2020.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) has also faced several controversies over its almost four decades of operating, especially with respect to net neutrality as it is one of the biggest internet providers in the United States which has opposed net neutrality laws, laws which are considered to be integral to maintaining a fair experience for customers. It has also been accused of false advertisement related to 5G.

2. China Mobile Communications

Total revenue (in millions of dollars): 131,913

Total profits (in millions of dollars): 14,629

Total assets (in millions of dollars): 337,923

Total number of employees: 451,331

Most of the major companies in China are owned by the state, and China Mobile Communications, the biggest cellphone company in the country, is no exception. The company has maintained a network across mainland China and Hong Kong, boasting 945 million subscribers and is considered to be the biggest mobile network operator in the world with reference to number of subscribers.

As is true for many major companies in China, China Mobile Communications has been sanctioned by the U.S. government, after President Donald Trump issued an executive order in November 2020, which resulted in the New York Stock Exchange delisting the company, which in turn led to China Mobile Communications announcing its decision to raise $8.8 billion to get the shares listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. The company’s U.S. subsidiary has been designated a national security threat by the Federal Communications Commission.

1. AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T)

Total revenue (in millions of dollars): 168,864

Total profits (in millions of dollars): 20,081

Total assets (in millions of dollars): 551,622

Total number of employees: 202,600

Easily topping the list of the 16 biggest cell phone companies in the world is AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T). AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) topped two of the four metrics we considered, while coming in second in one of them. Considered to be the second biggest telephone service provider in the United States, AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is generally considered to have acted as a monopoly during the 20th century in the Untied States. The revenue of the company has more than quadrupled in the past two decades, having recorded $45 billion in revenue in 2001.

Most major companies have controversies surrounding their activities, and AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is no exception. The company has been in hot water over the years for many different issues, such as censorship claims coming in 2007, a privacy controversy faced in 2006 when the company assisted the National Security Agency with wiretapping, copy right enforcement issues in 2008, discrimination conducted against local public-access television channels in 2008, accusation of enabling fraud and overcharging government agencies among several other controversies.

Don’t forget to check out 10 Best Telecom Dividend Stocks To Buy and Popular Penny Stocks on Robinhood