[Infographie] 60% des Britanniques possèdent un smartphone | FrenchWeb.fr

[Infographie] 60% des Britanniques possèdent un smartphone | FrenchWeb.fr.

Proposée par l’analyste eDigitalResearch et l’association de e-commerçants britanniques IMGR, l’infographie ci-dessous présente l’évolution de l’équipement de la population britannique en smartphones et son impact sur le m-commerce.

On constate ainsi que:

• Le taux de pénétration des smartphones au Royaume-Uni a augmenté de plus d’un tiers en trois ans, passant de 38 à 60% en 2013. Auparavant réservés aux « business men », avec en 2010 63% d’utilisateurs de sexe masculin et âgés de plus de 35 ans, les smartphones sont plus largement adoptés. En 2013, on compte 58% des utilisatrices.
• Ces changements impliquent ainsi un développement des usages en matière de navigation Web et de m-commerce. Pour 23% des mobinautes consultant des sites et achetant via mobile, ils sont respectivement 51 et 34% aujourd’hui. Les principaux postes de dépense en ligne des Britanniques sont les vêtements et les biens culturels dématérialisés.

BELGACOM : and BNP Paribas Fortis jointly launch the Belgian Mobile Wallet to bring in-app commerce to merchants and consumers | 4-Traders

BELGACOM : and BNP Paribas Fortis jointly launch the Belgian Mobile Wallet to bring in-app commerce to merchants and consumers | 4-Traders.

03/18/2013| 12:20pm US/Eastern
The arrival of “in-app commerce”:  a complete shopping experience seamlessly integrated in the various apps on your smartphone.  That’s what BNP Paribas Fortis, Belgacom and Accenture say the future holds for Belgian merchants and consumers. This first “in-app commerce” solution will be based on a true Belgian mobile wallet that integrates mobile payments, virtual ticketing, e-couponing and loyalty programmes with great convenience and high security. The pilot is planned end 2013 with full rollout as from spring 2014.

Bart Van Den Meersche, EVP Belgacom Enterprise Business Unit:

“Belgacom has always endeavoured to be a pioneer in innovation and in finding ways to make people’s lives easier.  So, naturally, we are thrilled to be at the heart of THE Belgian mobile wallet. An initiative which will, even more than before, turn the smartphone into a true companion for our customers”

The time seems right for this kind of fundamental innovation. The smartphone penetration in Belgium is booming, with already 4 out of 10 belgians already having one. This impressive growth is largely driven by the success of mobile apps and this is yet the beginning, as the total number of app downloads is expected to further increase by 5 times in the coming 3 years.

But what does this mean for merchants, how can they drive sales through apps?  Until today the possibilities are rather limited due to lack of open solutions for “in-app” payment, security and consumer convenience.

Therefore, BNP Paribas Fortis and Belgacom decided to launch a Belgian Mobile Wallet that fully integrates all missing components needed for a full shopping experience within the merchant app.

From a consumer point-of-view, this is how it will work.  Suppose you plan a movie night out.
You use the app of your public transport provider to check timetables and buy a ticket.  Payment and storage of the ticket will be handled “in-app”.  On the way, you launch the app of the local movie theatre, select the film you want to see and directly buy the ticket. Here too, payment and ticket happen smoothly “in app”.  Having arrived at your destination, you have just enough time for a burger.  From the app of your favourite fast food chain, you make your order while walking over to the restaurant.  You accept their special offer that is stored in the app, and the coupon is automatically applied when you make the payment.  In the process, your membership rewards are also directly credited to your loyalty account.  With your order confirmation on screen, you skip the line and pick up your order.  And you can do all of that simply from your own smartphone.

For merchants and other service providers, this opens up a whole new world of sales opportunities while reducing costs and increasing security.

From a consumer point of view this innovation will enable to put the wallet in your smartphone, gain time by avoiding queues and get access to better shopping deals. This is exactly in line with what the consumer demands for extra convenience and services on his smartphone

Peter Vandekerckhove, Managing Director at BNP Paribas Fortis :

“Just 3 weeks ago we announced the launch of the MasterPass as a future solution for e-commerce. Today we take one big step further and expand the use of MasterPass to “in-app commerce”. This makes mobile payments available in the exact spot where we think consumers will make their purchases in the near future: in the app. Both the mobile app and MasterPass are completely free for consumers. By bundling the payment module with a range of value added services such as ticketing, e-couponing and loyalty programmes, we are convinced of the benefits our solution will bring to both merchants and consumers.”

This innovation is unique in the market as it is the first time that the whole shopping experience gets integrated and can be organized within any merchant app. This creates the possibility for merchants to offer their customers a simple and secure full in-app sales. For the consumers, they can easily enrol and make free use of their unique mobile identity and wallet across all participating merchant apps.

In addition, the Belgian Mobile Wallet is based on an open eco-system and is accessible to any Belgian smartphone user with a bank/credit card from any Belgian bank and a mobile data plan from any Belgian Mobile operator.

The platform, intended to be provided by Accenture, will offer 5 components to merchants and app developers, who can integrate them into any mobile app.  Core components deal with mobile identity, security and the link to payment sources, starting with BNP Paribas Fortis’ recently announced MasterPass. Other modules take care of delivery and storage of tickets (transport tickets, concerts, theatre, sports, …), of distribution, storage and redemption of coupons, and of the link with loyalty programmes.

Fernand Dimidschstein, Managing Director at Accenture for Management Consulting France & Benelux:

“We firmly believe in the potential of this project, on the one hand because of its openness to all customers regardless of their bank or mobile operator and, on the other hand, because of its integrated approach, providing payment and other services directly inside the apps for a seamless user experience. In addition, Accenture has the proven experience and software platforms needed for this structural innovation and make Belgium a great example for the rest of the world.”

The preparation phase for the platform is largely done and the actual development will start soon. Pilots are planned end of 2013 with a selection of key actors in the transport, retail, entertainment and app development industries.  Full rollout is planned as from spring 2014.

How the next billion smartphones will be sold – Quartz

How the next billion smartphones will be sold – Quartz.

By Simone Foxman — January 29, 2013

AP Photo/Petros Karadjias

You can bet on continued rapid growth in the smartphone market. But ongoing unbridled profitability for its biggest players such as Apple and Samsung? That’s less of a sure thing.

Korea’s Samsung last week reported a 76% increase in net profit year-on-year. But its forecast that “the furious growth spurt seen in the global smartphone market last year is expected to be pacified by intensifying price competition, compounded by a slew of new products” disappointed investors eager to continue bingeing on smartphone and tablet euphoria.

Shares of Apple, largely driven by its iPhone business these days, have fallen 36% from their peak at $703.99 per share in mid-September. And the company’s quarterly earnings call on Jan. 23 didn’t inspire faith that the company could continue its market dominance indefinitely.

This does not mean that the world is full of smartphones—or even cell phones. Sales of phones and penetration rates are increasing in countries around the world, although the rate at which sales are increasing in some of the early-adopter markets is slowing. In October, Strategy Analytics estimated that one billion cell phones were in use; it expects there will be two billion smartphones in use by 2015. Investors’ doubts are predicated on the idea that these companies and others won’t be able to live off the smaller margins generated by low-cost handsets.

The smartphone sales lines keep going up.

Valor of volume

Concerns about Apple have had a lot to do with declining margins, as high-end sales growth slows amid increased competition from the likes of Samsung and less urgency among consumers to upgrade to the latest models when their current smartphones are more than adequate. Apple has typically been the industry leader, pioneering new technology. It has not—to date—said it would make a cheaper iPhone, though that is expected and Apple already carries its old models at a discount. Samsung has swiftly expanded its market share in the last few years by offering a variety of options for consumers. It has even had success expanding into already crowded emerging markets; Samsung has spent billions of dollars on marketing campaigns and drawn in consumers at all price points.

The problem is that both companies have trouble capitalizing on mid- and low-cost cell phones. Because it builds almost all of the parts that go into any cell phone, Samsung is better positioned to make money on the difference between the cost of the phone’s manufacture and the cost the consumer pays for it. Apple so far has made the decision not to compete aggressively in the lower-end market.

But simply because there’s not as much profit in low-cost phones doesn’t mean there’s no profit; so long as there are some profit margins in selling to a new world of consumers, someone will do it. RIM’s BlackBerry is starting to focus on African consumers, Nokia has made a bet on Indian consumers, and a variety of other companies are competing heavily for a piece of the pie. Little-known manufacturers in China and Asia making extremely low-cost devices that run Google’s Android software will surely grab a slice of the low-end market.

Exchange rates

Although Samsung appears to be winning the volume game, it may be at a disadvantage in the near future, creating an opening for other players. The Korean won has been rising in value in relation to many other currencies. With loads of foreign currency flying into the growing South Korean economy, the won is becoming more expensive, even as the world’s major central banks duke it out in a race to devalue their currencies. For example, the won rose nearly 20% against the Japanese yen in 2012. But exchange rates are even more important in emerging markets, where the company is pressured to chop costs to the bare minimum in order to make their phones competitive; the won has risen against emerging market currencies, particularly the Indian rupee and, to a much lesser extent, the Chinese yuan. Robert Yi, the head of Samsung’s investor relations, explained the impact currency fluctuations had on the company last quarter:

Our fourth quarter earning operating profit was negatively impacted by the foreign currency exchange ratios of about KRW360 billion ($33 million) from the continued strong Korean won, which we expect to continue for the time being. To clarify a little bit further, the most of the impact came not from the US or euro in Q4, but from various local currencies, including Chinese yen, Brazil real and others.

This could turn out to be a bigger deal in the future, as Samsung expects that these conditions will continue through 2013. Indeed, sharp appreciation in the currency against the yuan could allow for the rise of Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE, the third- and fifth-largest smartphone vendors in the world at 4.9% and 4.3% of global market share, respectively. Admittedly, their market share does not yet compare with the likes of Apple and Samsung—which have 21.3% and 29% of the market. Japan’s Sony could also benefit from a depreciating yen—the currency’s current trajectory.

Then again, the exchange rate game is one of chance. The Bank of Japan has so far disappointed those expecting it to embark on dramatic new monetary easing measures right away, while the Bank of Korea has already been hinting that it might cut rates. Meanwhile, an Apple incursion into the mid- and low-priced smartphone market could disrupt the game, and a cheap dollar might be there to help.

Clearly, there are wars ahead in the cell phone world, as manufacturers duke it out on price points and volume. What’s clear is that smartphone penetration is on an upward trajectory, and someone will be around to make a buck from that—even if it brings lower profit margins.

Why the Smartphone Isn’t Mainstream … Yet

Why the Smartphone Isn’t Mainstream … Yet.

This article is brought to you by Simple Mobile, the wireless revolution. For more information about BrandSpeak, click here.

It’s been around for less than a decade, but the smartphone is already incredibly common in the U.S. However, studies tell us that only 45% of adults in the U.S use a smartphone.

Owning a smart device continues to become mainstream with family spending being redistributed towards phone-related spending rather than other entertainment spending. The apps being released today are different from apps that were made a few years ago — they’re becoming an organic extension of a person’s lifestyle, and thus more relevant.

You don’t need to go further than the coffee line at the corner shop to observe the growth of smartphone use in the U.S. The same trends hold worldwide — but with some variations in hardware.

Users of the Android operating system enjoy the largest selection of apps — 700,000, a full 100,000 more than users on iOS with Windows trailing at only 100,000 total. Apple currently manufactures only 16.9% of smartphones globally, compared to Samsung’s 32.9%.

What smartphone stat surprised you the most? Do you know anyone who hasn’t made the jump from a regular cell phone to a smartphone yet?

Infographic created for Mashable by Mike Vasilev

Image courtesy of Flickr, justusbluemer

Amazon Tests Smartphone – WSJ.com

Amazon Tests Smartphone – WSJ.com.

 

By LORRAINE LUK

TAIPEI—Amazon.com Inc. AMZN -0.51% is working with component suppliers in Asia to test a smartphone, people familiar with the situation said, suggesting that the Internet retail giant, which sells the Kindle Fire tablet computers, is considering broadening its mobile-device offerings.

Officials at some of Amazon’s parts suppliers, who declined to be named, said the Seattle-based company is testing a smartphone and mass production of the new device may start late this year or early next year.

Suppliers in Asia are testing a smartphone for Amazon, but how will the giant online retailer try to forge a path through the dense smartphone market? The WSJ’s Lorraine Luk has the details.

A smartphone from Amazon would spur more competition in the already crowded market. While Apple Inc.’s AAPL -0.62%iPhone and Samsung Electronics Co.’sGalaxy handsets continue to dominate the lucrative high-end segment, the overall smartphone market is expanding rapidly with many players offering new models that are diverse in terms of sizes, technological features and prices.

After leading the market for electronic books with its Kindle readers, Amazon entered the tablet market last year with its Kindle Fire, which runs on Google Inc GOOG -1.81% .’s Android operating system. The device’s $199 price tag, compared with $499 or higher for Apple’s iPad, indicated that Amazon, instead of seeking profit on the sale of the tablets themselves, is trying to make money by selling digital content on the devices.

One person said that the screen of Amazon’s smartphone currently being tested measures between four and five inches.

Bloomberg last week reported that Amazon was developing a smartphone.

Enlarge Image

Associated Press

Amazon, which sells the Kindle Fire shown here, is considering broadening its mobile-device offerings.

In May, people familiar with the matter said Apple’s next iPhone, which is expected to come out later this year, will likely have a screen larger than four inches, compared with the current iPhone’s 3.5-inch display. Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S III, has a 4.8-inch screen.

The market for smartphones is rapidly expanding with demand particularly strong in China and other emerging markets where many people are replacing their traditional cellphones. Research firm IDC expects global smartphone shipments to grow 38.8% this year to 686 million units.

While Apple and Samsung together account for about half of the world’s smartphone shipments, the market is becoming more crowded with an increasing number of Chinese handset makers selling inexpensive smartphones

 

Related articles

• WSJ: Amazon currently testing a smartphone for production (technologytell.com)
• WSJ Confirms Amazon Is Testing A Smartphone That Could Enter Production This Year (cultofmac.com)
• Amazon.com testing own smartphone, could release late 2012 or early 2013 (examiner.com)
• WSJ: Amazon smartphone in testing, may go into production this year (theverge.com)

Making calls fifth most popular use for smartphones, study finds | NextGadgets.net | Cool Gadgets, New Gadgets, Latest Gadgets, Future Gadgets, Electronic Gadgets, Hi Tech Gadgets News

Making calls fifth most popular use for smartphones, study finds | NextGadgets.net | Cool Gadgets, New Gadgets, Latest Gadgets, Future Gadgets, Electronic Gadgets, Hi Tech Gadgets News.

A new study has confirmed what most users are perfectly aware of; that making calls is not even close to being the main use for our smartphones.

Mobile network O2 has surmised that we spend, on average 24 minutes 49 seconds per day browsing the internet, as opposed to just 12 minutes 15 seconds using the device to make voice calls.

In fact, making calls is only the fifth most popular daily feature, behind browsing the web, using social media (17 mins), listening to music (15 mins) and playing games (14 mins).

Below making calls comes writing emails (11m), sending text messages (10 mins), watching TV and movies and readingbooks (both 9 mins).

Rounding out the top 10 was using the device’s camera (3 mins).

Swiss army knives

“Smartphones are now being used like a digital ‘Swiss Army Knife’, replacing possessions like watches, cameras, books and even laptops,” said O2 UK’s general manager of devices David Johnson.

“While we’re seeing no let-up in the number of calls customers make or the amount of time they spend speaking on their phones, their phone now plays a far greater role in all aspects of their lives.”

Other interesting notes from the survey saw 54 per cent of recipients using the device as their alarm clock, while 46 per cent say its now their primary timepiece. Bad news for the watch and clock industry.

Create Your Own Smartphone App With Infinite Monkeys – No Coding Knowledge Required

Create Your Own Smartphone App With Infinite Monkeys – No Coding Knowledge Required.

It would be great if we all had the time, skills, and patience to learn computer coding, especially since technology pervades so many areas of our life. But thankfully, there are applications and web developers out there who provide ways for the rest of us to produce apps with little or no coding skills.

Back in June, I reviewed one such web application called Buzztouch, which is designed to allow anyone to create their own smartphone application. Now a similar program has just been released calledInfinite Monkeys, a web-based tool geared toward niche communities who want to share content on the iPhone and Android platforms. Infinite Monkeys is not as polished theme wise as Buzztouch, but unlike the latter, Infinite Monkeys, says the developers, “Is completely web-based, and works on any computer or tablet device. You never touch the source code and don’t have to know what it is or how it works.” There are several other differences that also might make Infinite Monkey more accessible to non-programmers than Buzztouch. But you’re free to explore both and see which fits your needs.

Web-based GUI

Infinite Monkeys’ web-based graphic user interface allows users to incorporate existing web content from social networking sites like Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, and blogging sites.

These web-based apps of course don’t compare to more advanced apps like Angry Birds, but they are great for small niche communities and businesses, such as school associations, sports teams, churches, musicians and restaurants, who want to share content privately or publicly.

Infinite Monkeys provides three different app platform models, ranging from free to the pro level version of $499. But for many users, the free HTML 5 web-based, and ad-supported model should suffice.

Building An App

Infinite Monkey provides a seriously easy step-by-step process for creating a smartphone app in less than an hour; that is if you have an ample amount of content already posted on the web.

The great thing about using a web-based platform is that you can constantly add content and updates to your app via your blog site, YouTube channel, photo sharing site, etc.

The Infinite Monkey web application uses a familiar drag-and-drop process. You start off by giving your app a title, followed by choosing a privacy setting. You can make the app public, or private for closed community access which will prompt users to enter a password to view content.

You can of course customize the background image and splash screen, as well as the font colors for the title and other text.

Core Content

The core content of your app consists of primarily news and third-party feeds such as your blog site(s) and specific URLs.

Infinite Monkeys includes additional content models for music and books, food and beverages, events, sports, reference materials, and location services such as a map and directions.

With the click of a button you can easily preview your app at any point in the development process. The online app also includes an embedded short video tutorial for each of the three part steps and multifunction tools.

You have poor control over the content of your app, including links to streaming videos, live chatrooms, shared calendars for upcoming events, shopping links to recommended products, and tap–t0–call phone contact information.

Publishing App

The free version of Infinite Monkeys allows you to instantly post your HTML 5 version immediately to the web so that anyone with a web-enabled smartphone can access it through the assigned URL.

Since your app is ad-supported, Infinite Monkeys will host it for free on their server. While it is not nearly as polished as professional apps that you will find in say the iTunes App Store, it does provide a way for anyone to get their content into this space.

For other mobile app creation ideas, check out these articles:

• How To Create An iPhone Or Android App Without Any Coding Skills
• Easily Create Mobile Websites with MoFuse
• Moably: Create A Mobile Friendly Website/Blog Without Any Coding

Let us know what you think of Infinite Monkeys in the comments below. Does it cater to your needs or does an alternative app do a much better job?

TV Watchers Use Digital Devices to Multitask Online – eMarketer

TV Watchers Use Digital Devices to Multitask Online – eMarketer.

JUNE 7, 2012 

Smartphones are the preferred device for viewers discussing television ads

Family watching television, c. 1958 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The growing ubiquity of smartphones, tablets and other connected digital devices has given rise to a new category of user—the multitasker. These users have incorporated newer digital devices into existing habits, particularly when it comes to watching TV.

A May 2012 report authored by the IAB and Ipsos MediaCT, which drew on data from three surveys of US consumers, found that internet-enabled devices were not displacing other media-related activities, but adding to them. According to the Ipsos MediaCT LMX survey, the average amount of time that respondents spent engaging with media each day climbed to 9.6 hours in 2011, from 9 hours in 2009. Time spent online or on a computer jumped to 3.1 hours from 2.5 hours over the same period. But the amount of time respondents spent watching TV held steady, at 3.4 hours. eMarketer estimates that US adults spent an average of about 11.5 hours per day consuming media content in 2011.

Part of the increase in online activity by consumers is no doubt occurring when they are watching television. In the IAB and Ipsos MediaCT HearWatchSay survey of “media-savvy” consumers, almost two-thirds of respondents said they had used another device the last time they watched live TV. And overall, those using a digital device to discuss or otherwise interact with a TV show preferred their smartphones to either tablets or computers.

Those on smartphones were also significantly more likely to use their device, as opposed to either tablets or PCs, to discuss television ads. Smartphone users preferred to talk about ads via texts, emails and IMs. Tablet users were partial to using social networks to converse about ads with friends, while those on PCs most often used social networks to gab with online communities.

While the attention spans of multitaskers are certainly stretched thin, their viewing habits also provide brands the opportunity to form a deeper relationship with their audience by engaging them across multiple platforms.

Related articles

• Most Americans Multitask on Other Screens When Watching TV, Industry Study (beet.tv)
• Mobile Drives Direct Response for Other Ad Channels – eMarketer (huguesrey.wordpress.com)
• Data Points: Multiscreen Mania (adweek.com)
• Tablets taking over the living room: 88% of owners use them while watching TV (venturebeat.com)

What Is the Smartphone of the Future? 6 Ideas | Inc.com

What Is the Smartphone of the Future? 6 Ideas | Inc.com.

Yagi Studio/Getty

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Your phone will be paper thin and charge wirelessly. You’ll probably project a high-def screen onto a wall when you want a bigger screen, since laptops will have become relics. But the truly impressive innovations will go far beyond these well-known predictions. Super-smart AI will make your phone even more powerful for business. Here are my predictions for what phones will do:Think your smartphone is powerful now? Wait until the year 2050, when Apple will have faded into oblivion (most major tech companies can last barely 30 years).

1. Analyze your surroundings

Future phones will analyze your surroundings, but not in the way you might think. Today, phones can connect to a Bluetooth signal and stream audio to your car. In 30 years, your phone will become more self-aware. When you arrive in your hotel room, your phone will connect to the thermostat and adjust the temp according to your usual preferences. You’ll have fingertip access to every other electronic gadget, even the sink in the bathroom–say, to find out when it was cleaned last. And, you’ll see instant info about the connections available, your hotel bill, who is nearby, and the weather. This data will not lurk in disparate apps, though–your phone will get it on the fly.

2. Record information

One of the problems with human memory is that it tends to be fallible. That’s not a problem for your phone. Yet, in the future, phones won’t just store data you put there. The device will morph into a digital recorder of every event, place, and experience. Walk into a conference room, and sensors in your phone will tap into the phones of every other attendee, recording their names, professional experience, and even their recent travels. You’ll record audio and video, of course, but the phone will do this automatically by tapping into other cameras in the room and during important occasions. The AI will know what you want to record and do this in the background without your intervention.

3. Display clean data

In the current digital age, you don’t have much choice about how information is presented. Turn on CNN, and you have to live with the programmed chatter. Yet, a future phone will have the ability to adjust streams of information. This is more than just editing. Your phone will become the main conduit you use for seeing information, but it will be smart enough to weed out information you don’t care about. When you read a future digital version of The New York Times, your phone will customize the information for you on the fly–presenting only relevant news in chunks you determine.

4. Monetize your mobility

In a future cashless society, one based primarily on transactions you conduct with your phone, you’ll be able to monetize your mobility. Say you show up at a meeting having researched a topic extensively. Your phone can offer to share this information for a small fee with business partners. You’ll also be able to offer a stream of well-honed content like indie movies and newly discovered music under your own micro-distribution license, similar to iTunes but localized and wireless. Once all of our financial data is stored on our phones (and highly secure), we’ll start using the phone to sell just about anything. This will work both ways, of course. The accumulated knowledge of others will also be a click away.

5. Familiarize your world

Phones already do a good job of helping us understand the world around us–just use the Zillow app to see a constant stream of house prices as you drive around. As an intelligent agent of learning, your future phone will go much further. You’ll speak into your phone and it will translate what you say in real-time, in any language. (Some apps do this already, but not smoothly or quickly.) Your phone will know your preferences and will connect to neighborhood services. Say you like soccer: Your phone will let you know the city has recently improved a soccer field as you drive within a few blocks. If you like a new band, and arrive in Orlando, your phone will let you know where the show is happening.

6. Fraternize with others

The concept of gamification is already here–just look at Klout perks or Bing rewards. In the future, the concept will expand much further. Your phone will constantly scan for like-minded people (as you can do today with some social apps) and you’ll be able to hold multiplayer matches with nearby gamers. But future phones will “gamify” anything you want, from beating your boss to a meeting to earning perks for sharing an easier route to the museum with the car next to you (and getting a free gas token as a reward).

Read more:

• 6 Huge Tech Trends to Watch
• Google Glasses: The Future of Work?
• 4 Tech Rumors (Almost) as Big as iPhone 5

John Brandon is a contributing editor at Inc. magazine and writes the Tech Trends column in every issue. He also writes the Tech Report column for Inc.com. @jmbrandonbb

The ‘Smartphone Class’: Always On, Always Consuming Content – eMarketer

The ‘Smartphone Class’: Always On, Always Consuming Content – eMarketer.

MAY 2, 2012 

Consuming content in frequent, small portions means more touchpoints for marketers

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Armed with fast, high-powered smartphones, a new class of consumers, 100 million strong and growing, is rerouting the path to purchase and redefining cultural norms in the US.

Members of the “smartphone class” stand apart from other Americans in the way they shop, communicate, consume media—even how they use their spare time. Its members define themselves by their connectedness and their sense of empowerment through unfettered access to real-time information.

“What others do with a PC, they do with their smartphones,” said Catherine Boyle, eMarketer senior analyst and author of the new report, “The Smartphone Class: Connected Consumers Transform US Commerce and Culture.” “Their phone is their workplace, entertainment center and their marketplace. They watch videos in coffee shops, social network at concerts, play games in waiting rooms, scan barcodes in stores and shop with their smartphone from anywhere at any time. Their behaviors are rerouting the traditional path to purchase and they are proving to the rest of America that spare moments can be productive ones, too.”

eMarketer estimates nearly 116 million Americans will use a smartphone at least monthly by the end of this year, up from 93.1 million in 2011. By 2013, they will represent over half of all mobile phone users, and by 2016, nearly three in five consumers will have a smartphone.

The smartphone class is not defined by age, gender, income or race. Instead it is defined by its members’ shared behaviors. Understanding the common behavioral traits that unite the class makes members easy to recognize and underscores the influence this class of consumers is having on how Americans communicate, consume media and shop.

One of those behaviors is to always be “snacking.” The smartphone class doesn’t tolerate dull moments; members turn to their phones for instant gratification. Depending on their mood in the moment, gratification might mean completing a quick task or finding a fun distraction. For marketers, this rising content consumption means an increasing number of touchpoints where they can reach consumers. eMarketer forecasts double-digit growth in mobile gaming as well as music and video consumption among the smartphone class through 2015.

“Snacking on mobile in small amounts throughout the day can be as lucrative to brands as it is gratifying to members of the smartphone class,” said Boyle. “The five minutes grazing on news in the morning, the 15 minutes playing a game at lunch and the two minutes watching a video at the grocery store are all opportunities for marketers to get a message across or close a sale.”