A new report has shown that Australians are one of the biggest adopters of smartphones on the planet and warns of both the threats and opportunities that that brings for both advertisers and marketers.

The report by consultancy firm Deloitte and titled 2018 Technology, Media and Telecommunications Predictions found 90 per cent of adult Australians will own a smartphone by the end of 2018; a good five years earlier than the rest of the planet.

However, it’s not all good news. Australians who worry about their smartphone use (presently at 41 per cent) is set to rise to 45 per cent this year, the report revealed.

Globally, Deloitte found that two-thirds of 18-24 year olds felt they used their devices too much.

The report also had a harbinger for advertisers and marketers, suggesting that Australia’s smartphone penetration meant that augmented reality (AR) would be the industry’s new must-have mechanism.

According to the report, over a billion smartphone users will create augmented reality content in 2018, and by 2020 AR will generate revenues of US$1 billion.

“For Australians 2018 will be about how smartphones are used,” says Kimberly Chang, Deloitte Australia’s technology, media and telecommunications leader.

“With invisible innovations such as Artificial intelligence (AI) chips likely to become standard across smartphones by 2023 and with better batteries and connectivity, we expect to see an increase in smartphone uses, including to interact with IoT (internet of everything) devices and completing work-flow activities such as expenses and time sheets.”

However, Chang added it was the marketers who could best identify the ways to best use AR who would most benefit.

“AR is going to be a real game changer for Australian enterprise, and the tipping point is upon us. We are talking a lot more than just Snapchat. AR has applications for many industries including construction, government, automotive, and media,” Chang told the marketing website CMO.

The problem, however, is that AR currently remains quite expensive and has no yet entered the mainstream.