Bill Gates believes smartphones are they key to prosperity

According to Bill Gates, the key to prosperity in the less developed parts of the world could be hidden within smartphones. According the the technology genius turned philanthropist, connecting impoverished people with smartphones could help improve their lives at speeds that have never been seen before. 

Bill Gates is more readily associated with philanthropy than technology these days, but that’s not to say he doesn’t still have more than a passing interest in the world of tech. In their annual letter, Bill and Melinda Gates look 15 years into the future, envisioning a world in which the life in poor countries has improved dramatically. Technological advancements are key to this vision, and the Gates refer to the importance of mobile banking, cheaper tablets and smartphones, as well as improvements to crops and vaccines. It’s 15 years since the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was created, and the couple are making a bet that “the lives of people in poor countries will improve faster in the next 15 years than at any other time in history”.