Smartphones overtake computers in internet usage � Survey
Isaac Pinielo | Wednesday March 22, 2017 18:00
Since their arrival, smartphones have taken the upper hand in the market, by becoming bigger and laptops becoming lighter.
Latest data on Information Communication Technology (ICT) shows that in 2014, smartphones were the most favoured devices to access internet, accounting for 77.3% of the 494,000 total individuals who used the internet.
Portable computers, including laptops, notebooks and tablets, were next most used devises to access internet after smartphones with 43% of individuals using them.
“Individuals aged 10-54 years mainly used mobile cellular telephones to access internet while 55-74 year olds preferred portable computers to access Internet,” SB said.
In addition, the statistical body indicated that individual internet users engaged in different types of activities on the internet, the most activity being participating in social networks. Individuals who engaged in this activity constituted 78.4% of all internet users.
The second most common activity of the internet users was reading or downloading online news/newspapers/magazines/electronic books, which was done by 56.6% of all internet users, according to data.
Some individuals, who constituted 50.8%, used the internet to send or receive emails while some, 49.6%, used it to look for educational or training information.
“Individuals aged 15-44 years, the most internet users, dominated in all activities done through the internet, while those aged 15-24 years made up 41.7% of those participating in social networks compared with 34.4% of those aged 25-34 years and 14.9% of those aged 35-44 years,” said SB.
In the next common activity, reading or downloading online news or newspapers or magazines or electronic books, 25-34 year olds made up 35.3% of internet users engaged in it while 15-24 year olds constituted 30%.
With regard to sending emails through the internet, figures showed that individuals aged 25-34 years made up 36.2% of internet users engaged in this activity while 15-24 and 35-44 year olds made up 25.9% and 22.7% respectively.
Smartphone ownership rates in emerging and developing nations are said to be rising at an extraordinary rate and overwhelming majorities in almost every nation surveyed report owning some form of mobile device, even if they are not considered “smartphones.”
Deloitte research in 15 developed markets reported that access to smartphones stood at 80% with 28% of respondents claimed they were likely to buy a new smartphone in the next 12 months.