January 27, 2012 By

UK Smartphone Ownership Nearing 50%

UK smartphone ownership is nearing 50%, according to a report published by Google and Ipsos on the Google Mobile Ads Blog.  Not only did the UK show the highest smartphone penetration (45%), but also the largest increase in smartphone usage, rising from 30% to 45% in the space of 6 months. The study also found that in the UK, US, France, Germany and Japan more people use a mobile phone (feature phone or smartphone) than a computer (desktop or laptop).

As could be expected, the study also found that smartphone usage among females and the 45+ demographics has risen in all five countries. Some of the other key findings of the report included:

  • Consumers are clearly shifting from feature phones to smartphones. Smartphone penetration reached 45% in the UK, 38% in the US and France, 23% in Germany and 17% in Japan.  
  • Consumers are increasingly using their smartphones for Internet access. Germany saw the biggest increase with the percentage of smartphone owners using their device for daily Internet access jumping from 39% to 49%, while Japan had the highest percentage accessing the Internet daily on their smartphone at 88%.  A little over two-thirds of smartphone users in the US and over half of smartphone users in the UK access the mobile Internet daily.
  • Smartphone owners are continuing to get online on their computers. Across all five countries approximately 75% of smartphone owners said they continued to use their computer to access the Internet daily.  
  • Consumers are embracing tablets as the fourth screen. Tablet usage increased across all five countries with the highest penetration amongst the total population in the US at 11%. The rate of tablet usage is even higher amongst smartphone owners – hitting 17% in the US, 11% in Japan and 10% in the UK.

Via NMA

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About Chris Ward

Better known as 'Wardy', digital media is where his interest lies. Responsible for many elements of the Clove website and external advertising activities, Wardy is our interactive media graduate.

Always chilled out, there is never a time when you see 'Wardy' stressed. A keen music follower, he knows his DJ's and how to mix a few tracks together. Always eating, he remains stick thin and is the envy of the rest of us! A very deep character, there are some suprising twists to what Wardy knows and you'll never meet a nicer bloke if you tried!