Top Five Global Reasons We Use Mobile Phones
Way back in 1973 (I know it feels like a life time ago) Marin Cooper of Motorola invented the first mobile phone. It weighed 2 kg and looked like something out of Ghostbusters. All it did was call another person.
So what are the most common uses and features on our mobile phones widely used by consumers around the world today? Let’s count down the top five.
5. Download and listen to music
Music comes in last at number five, but in actual fact it has the second fastest uptake after texting. Music downloads is a billion dollar game and as such has lead Apple, Nokia, Samsung and other leading brands to create their own stores and portals to purchase music and even upload your own.
4. Download and play games
This is dominated by two very different markets. The main markets are those under 20, male and female. The secondary market is, wait for it, females 40+, who stay at home. The majority of games are either played via application download or premium phone line (text in a key word to get a game).
3. Download and use applications
Three/four years ago mobile applications did not really exist, in fact they were called ODP (on device portals) and were usually pre-loaded by the manufacturer as added value. According to Apple, this year in 2010 the average downloads of Apple Applications is around 35 million per day, and for Nokia 1 million per day. There are approximately 250,000 Apple Apps and as of last week it was announce Apple are relaxing their policy on third partner developers, meaning this could jump to 500,000 in a matter of months.
2. Surf the internet
Ten years ago if you had a phone than could access the internet and you were happy to pay ridiculous download and access fees you were ‘cool’. Nowadays it’s a basic feature, be it a Smartphone or a five year old Nokia.
1. Texting
And the winner is....texting. The majority of people under 30 prefer to communicate by texting rather than voice calling, and over 80% say they send one text or more per day. Texting has lead to the rise of MMS use and over 80% of the handsets on the market are MMS compatible. The uptake has been so huge it is now included in an uncapped plan (use as many as you like). The main uses of MMS for the SME market include member only offers and mobile coupons to redeem in store (loyalty and discounts). The main use for MMS amongst friends and family has been the sending of pictures during important life events (birthdays and memorable nights out).
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