Since the onset of the global coronavirus pandemic, smartphones have become increasingly popular in Algeria, as many people across the country use their time in lockdown to connect with each other and the outside world, new research shows.

The increased use of smartphones has led to an uptick in mobile phone sales in the country since the beginning of 2020, retailers said.

‘The COVID-19 crisis and confinement pushed people to buy mobile phones, including smartphones, before the goods expired, as the importation of phones is at a standstill,” said Samir Abidine, who owns a mobile phone store in the center of Bouira, a city in northern Algeria.

“Algerians spend more time connecting to the virtual world with their smartphones to stay in touch with family, relatives and friends, especially in this period of social distancing and the prohibition of family visits,” Arezki said.

“My brother bought this mobile phone for me, and it’s thanks to this device that I manage to call my only son, Meziane, and keep in touch with him and see his photos on social networks,” Salmi told Zenger News.