WhatsApp holds a significant 31.8 percent share in the e-commerce market, following Meta’s Facebook pages at 61.7 percent, according to a March quarterly report from the Egyptian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT).

This decision will affect several devices, including models from major brands like Samsung, which, according to Statista, commands a dominant 26 percent share of Egypt's mobile device market in 2024.

As a result, millions of users in Egypt who still rely on older Android phones would need to upgrade to newer models to continue using the app.

According to the latest data by MCIT, 98.8 percent of Egyptian households own mobile phones, and 95 percent of individuals have a mobile device.

Although specific data on the number of Egyptians using outdated Android phones is not readily available, it is likely that a significant number of people, especially in rural areas, continue to rely on older devices.

Affected devices
 
Here are some of the models that will no longer support WhatsApp:

*Samsung: Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Ace 3, Galaxy S4 Mini

*Motorola: Moto G (1st Gen), Razr HD, Moto E (2014)

*HTC: One X, One X+, Desire 500, Desire 601

*LG: Optimus G, Nexus 4, G2 Mini, L90

*Sony: Xperia Z, Xperia SP, Xperia T, Xperia V

These phones are now considered outdated by current tech standards, and WhatsApp will no longer function on them as of 1 January 2025.

If you are still using one of these older Android phones, the most essential step is to back up your WhatsApp data, including chat history, photos, videos, and other important files.

AI tools

WhatsApp’s decision to end support for older Android devices reflects a broader trend in the tech industry, as new features like AI tools, enhanced security, and improved performance require modern hardware.

By phasing out outdated devices, WhatsApp ensures a more reliable experience and can introduce innovations that older devices cannot support.

This move aligns with similar actions by other tech companies, such as Apple’s plan to stop supporting iPhones running iOS versions older than 15.1 by May 2025.

Key figures

As of February 2024, Android was Egypt's leading mobile operating system, holding a dominant market share of around 95 percent.

According to Statista data, Apple’s iOS was the second most used operating system in the country, with a market share of approximately 15 percent.

As of November 2024, Egypt's population stood at 107 million, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).

Meanwhile, DataReportal revealed that 82.01 million Egyptians were internet users at the start of 2024, reflecting a 72.2 percent internet penetration rate.