July 2012
Featured in this insight: IT & telecommunications, Regulation
Market research uncovers popularity of mobile devices amongst Britons: A survey by consumer watchdog Ofcom has shown that mobile devices continue to be much sought after in the UK as there has been a sharp increase in households using tablets and smartphones over the last 12 months.
The market research revealed that 39% of British adults now own a smartphone, which represents a 12% rise from last year’s figures.
In addition, 39% of smartphone owners claimed their device is the main one they use to access the Internet, while 42% predominantly use their mobile to visit social networking sites and 51% to send emails.
Tablet uptake was also found to be on the rise over the past year – a mere 2% of UK consumers owned one in 2011, compared to 11% currently.
Furthermore, over a third of tablet owners said they could not live without their device and 17% plan to buy another one at some point this year.
Director of Research at Ofcom, James Thickett, commented: “Newer forms of communications are emerging which don’t require us to talk to each other – especially among younger age groups. This trend is set to continue as technology advances and we move further into the digital age.”
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