 "India's Smartphone Impact")
Google partnered with IPSOS and the MMA (Mobile Marketing Association) to understand consumer’s mobile behaviour and gain a greater insight.
The survey had a few surprises in store revealing that the usage of smart phone between the age group of 18- 29 is the highest. The phone is no longer just a means of making calls and sending SMS, the survey identifies that people today use their smartphones to search, follow news, watch TV, listen to music, connecting with family and friends. However, while some might be tech savvy utilising their smartphone features to the max, there are many who still use their smartphones for basic needs.
According to Lalitesh Katragadda, Country Head-India, Products for Google, “The survey reiterates our belief in ‘mobile first’. Culturally, even beyond the well-educated, mainstream Indians are technology curious and device savvy. We believe that the Internet like telephony did, is making the leap from wired internet to mobile, and hundreds of millions of Indians will go online on their mobile devices. At Google, we are building a powerful, simple, personable mobile ecosystem that helps every user be connected as they want and when they want to.”
Smartphones have become an integral part of user’s daily lives: Consumers use smartphones as an extension of their desktop computers and use it as they multi-task. A comparison of Internet usage on smart device versus desktop reveals that 56 percent of smartphone owners in India prefer accessing Internet multiple times a day through their phones. 59 percent of males access the Internet more through smartphones versus 48 percent of usage by females. Smartphones, being powerful devices can act as a pocket supercomputer as well and can do a lot more than to just navigate through social networking pages. 78 percent of smartphone owners indulge in searching from their device, 77 percent of smartphone users in India like listening to music on their smart device and close to 35 percent of smartphone owners either read newspapers, book and magazines or watch TV and close to 33 percent enjoy playing games.
Another key mobile insight that emerged is that, 97 percent of smartphone owners are heavy users while at home. Men have a higher usage of smartphones when at work with close to a figure of 80 percent as compared to 71 percent women at work. Surprisingly while people are engaging more into online shopping it is found that 40 percent of smartphone owners do not feel secure to purchase online through their smart device and prefer PC/ laptop for the same.
Some Interesting Worldwide comparisons: Although, India still has a long way to go increasing its Internet penetration in contrast to the US. Despite having less than 50 percent of USA’s 245 million users, survey conducted by IPSOS and Google reveals Indian smartphone users access the Internet multiple times a day more than what citizens in the US do through their smartphones. Interestingly not relying on a desktop/ PC or even a laptop, Indians are outscoring US straight in going online from their smartphones. Also, not missing out on being active on social networking online, Indians at a whopping 76 percent are accessing social networking sites more through their smart phones in comparison to a 54 percent from the US also Email usage on smartphones is higher in India upto 81 percent when compared with the US.