Algerian migrant: Smartphone crucial tool to reach Europe This year the number of smartphone users across the globe is expected to top 3 billion, little more than a decade after Apple's gamechanging iPhone first went on sale and transformed the way people interact with their phones. For Reda Zerrouki, a 36-year-old Algerian who is among thousands of migrants crossing the Balkans in hopes of reaching Europe, his smartphone is more than just a way to message family and friends: it is a crucial tool to map his route through the region and avoid police patrolling the borders. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES