Smartphones have become really popular in UK, and the stats are just off the chart according to the research made by Ofcom, a UK-government approved authority that is responsible for the regulation of broadcasts and telecommunication. According to Ofcom, the percentage of adults using smartphones is 27%, and the percentage of teen smartphone users is around 47%. However, this number has increased only since last year when about 60% of smartphone users bought their phones.
The number of users of smartphones is not the only thing that has struck the UK but the amount of time spend by these smartphones users is quite astonishing. Adults and teens both can’t keep their eyes of the phones and use them in weird places such as the loo!!! Nearly 22% adults and 47% teens have admitted that they have used their smartphones when they are in the toilet. Smartphones are being used even when people are socializing or having meals. 51% adults and 65 % teens have said they use their smartphones when they are socializing with others, and 23% adults and 34 % teens admit using their smartphones during their meals.
The uses of the smartphone however, vary between the two demographic groups. Most common use for adults is e-mailing. While internet surfing and social networking is 2nd and 3rd. For teens however the major use is social networking. While listening to music and playing games are the next two.
The two companies that are mostly enjoying the sales of smartphones are iPhone and Blackberry. However the preference here also varies between adults and teens. For adults iPhone is the preference with 32% adults owning an iPhone. For teens however Blackberry is more popular with 37% teens owning a Blackberry. The reason for the popularity of RIM’s Blackberry amongst the teens is because of the Blackberry Messenger (BBM) service. It seems that female teens are huge fans of Blackberry and its services because nearly 44% of them own a Blackberry.
The technological advancement in communication has been significantly improved in the last decade and so has the number of users. According to Ofcom in the year 2000 the percentage of mobile users was about 36%, and after a decade in 2010 the percentage is now 91%. The number of voice minutes and text messages has also increased by a huge amount in UK in the last decade, with voice minutes increasing from 35 billion/year to 125 billion/year and text messages increasing from 7 billion to 129 billion.
It is clearly evident from the stats that the use of mobiles has increased drastically in the UK, and that more and more people spend majority of their time on their phones.