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The Mobile Revolution in many developing countries has made mobile phones and smartphones central technologies worldwide. Current global figures released by Statista indicate that approximately 4.66 billion people use the internet (Johnson, 2021). Internet users in developing countries increased from 7.7% in 2005 to 53.3% by the end of 2020, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU, 2020). Africa showed the strongest growth of over 27% (from 2.1% in 2005 to 29.5% in 2020). Developing countries also reported higher growth in active mobile broadband subscription (with a penetration rate of 67.5 per 100 inhabitants) than developed countries. The increase in both mobile cellular and mobile broadband subscriptions from 2015 to 2020 was also led by Africa and the Asia-Pacific (ITU, 2020).
Smartphone adoption can easily be explained by the pervasive digitalization in most societies and the increasing number of people worldwide who are now connected to the internet with mobile devices. Even for the bottom of the pyramid, poorest socio-economic group, there seems to be a potential for smartphone-producing companies (Baishya & Samalia, 2020). For this reason, information systems (IS) researchers have examined smartphone adoption for more than two decades to gain a better understanding of which factors actually play a role in it (e.g., Ameen et al., 2008; Baishya & Samalia, 2020; Choudrie et al., 2020; Kim, 2008; Shukla & Sharma, 2018). Famed IS adoption models such as the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (Davis, 1989) and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) (Venkatesh et al., 2003) have been used to examine smartphone adoption. For instance, Kim (2008) examined individuals’ intention to use mobile wireless technology by taking into account both individual perceptions and professional variables, such as job relevance, perceived cost savings, and company’s willingness to fund. Ameen et al. (2018) examined the gender gap in smartphone adoption. The issue of smartphone adoption is still relevant nowadays, especially in developing countries (Baishya & Samalia, 2020). Indeed, Baishya and Samalia (2020) conducted a survey with 590 Indian citizens to investigate the antecedents of smartphone adoption among people at the bottom of the pyramid. Their study extended the UTAUT model with the variable of perceived monetary value. However, recent IS research also indicates that smartphone adoption is not always based on functional characteristics, such as perceived ease of use and usefulness (Choudrie et al., 2020). Experiential and symbolic interpretations, such as self-image, can intervene in adoption decisions. Therefore, it is reasonable to argue that smartphone adoption may also reflect a symbolic dimension in developing countries.
Nonetheless, few researchers have tried to understand the values and assumptions embedded in mobile technologies and how they drive IS adoption. Through a literature review of 200 articles, Donner (2008) presents papers dealing with mobile phones as symbols of modernity, empowerment, and capitalism. Jung (2014) also examines user values and the different types of goals that users aim to achieve through their smartphones. Arbore et al. (2014) emphasize the symbolic aspects of information technology (IT) adoption by analyzing consumers’ acceptance of mobile TV. They include the notion of self-concept in their work, which enhances the symbolic dimensions of adoption. Drawing from customer research, they assess the role of self-identity (personal and social identities) in the adoption of personal technologies. Their study’s results indicate identity-signaling mechanisms, which describe what occurs when technology consumers evaluate whether an innovation will be consistent or inconsistent with their identity-signaling goals.