7 out of 10 Canadians never leave home without their mobile phone
16 9月 2009
TORONTO — Global market research firm Synovate today released data from its new global mobile phones survey, revealing more than three quarters of mobile phone owners in Canada never leave home without their phone and 26% 'cannot live without it'.
Managing Director of Synovate Canada, Rob Myers, said these small-but-powerful devices have exploded into people lives – becoming a necessity for personal and business use.
"The mobile phone has evolved massively over the past decade. It is increasingly becoming a ubiquitous multi-media platform. The ongoing innovation will continue to open doors for more and more consumer services as well as greater marketing opportunities for companies."
Synovate surveyed over 8,000 mobile phone owners across 11 markets including 1,004 Canadians.
Me, myself and my mobile
The Synovate survey showed just how much people depend on their mobile phones. Seven in 10 Canadians never leave home without their phones, and close to a third (26%) go as far as to say they cannot live without their mobile.
"People store a lot of information, including personal information, on their phone and they rely on that to communicate with others. Losing the information means losing the ability to stay connected," said Myers.
People also need to feel secure. Twenty percent of Canadian respondents would like to turn their phone off more often but are worried that they will miss something, and 28% admit they sleep with their mobile phone close by. Even though the mobile phone has been around for some time, 27% say they feel excited when their phone rings or beeps for a message. The message ring is an indication of being connected so it's no matter if the note is good or bad – people just like to know someone is trying to reach them.
'Alarming' stats on what people do
In an increasingly mobile-literate world, only 41% of respondents in Canada agreed they did not know how to use most of the features on their phones – meaning about six in ten are comfortable with multi-function mobiles. So what are people actually using them for?
Putting aside the almost ubiquitous calling and SMS functions, the three features Canadians most use on a regular basis are:
- Camera – 51% use this on a regular basis
- Alarm clock – 40% use this on a regular basis
- Games – 26% use this on a regular basis
"As technology continues to advance we are seeing a switch from consumers carrying around multiple devices to those using their mobile as an all-in-one device. For example the advancement in mobile phone cameras has been phenomenal and each day it is getting better. Not only can you take a good picture but you can immediately send it by SMS or email to anyone interested, or load it to your Facebook page. The opportunities for the device convergence are really taking off." said Myers.
Only 15% of Canadians own a Smartphone compared to 20% of Americans.
Purchase intention: Brakes on or gearing up?
The survey showed that 3G access increases use of the other mobile functions in phones:
- 22% of respondents in Canada use email on their mobile on a regular basis compared to 26% in the US.
- 20% of Canadians use internet browsing versus 26% of Americans.
- 15% of Canadians say they social network regularly via mobile, which is the same percentage as those the US.
... And what they want to do
So which features do people want more of? What do they most want to see on mobiles of the future? Synovate asked, and more people said they don't know what they want on new mobiles phones than any other answer.
The top three choices were:
- Don't know – 33%
- Better quality cameras – 29%, showing just how important the pictures-on-the-go capability will remain in the future
- Faster internet speed – 11%, greater speed tend to make people want to access the internet more often
- More memory / storage space – 11%, which makes a lot of sense as people are storing more on their devices
Phone flirt 'n' dirt
Text messaging has undoubtedly changed the way people manage their relationships. This survey showed that 20% of Canadians have lied about their whereabouts via text and 17% of respondents have said no to something they didn't want to do/passed on a difficult message.
'Hiding' behind your phone allows open the door to timid, than they may have otherwise been. The survey showed how Canadians used texting for 'good' or fun reasons:
- 27% of respondents had flirted with their partners by text.
- 11% have flirted with someone other than their partners.
- As little as 4% have set up their first date via text.
The survey also showed how text is used for potentially bad news – 4% have broken up with someone via text and another 4% have been dumped from a text message.
About the Synovate mobile phones survey
The Synovate In:fact survey on mobile phones was conducted in June 2009 across 11 markets and with over 8,000 urban mobile phone owners. The markets covered are Canada, Denmark, France, Malaysia, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (US).
The survey was conducted online in several markets, meaning the respondents are likely to be more tech-savvy than the general population. For more information on this survey, visit www.synovate.com/insights.
Contact(s) for this press release
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Henrietta Sung
Marketing Manager |
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Telephone: +1 416 964 6262 ext. 165 |
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Synovate, the market research arm of Aegis Group plc, generates consumer insights that drive competitive marketing solutions. The network provides clients with cohesive global support and a comprehensive suite of research solutions. Synovate employs over 6,400 staff across 62 countries.
For more information on Synovate visit www.synovate.com.