Disruptive nature of mobile affects all areas of people’s lives

Almost three quarters ( 74%) of consumers use their smartphones to watch online videos, up from 61% in 2012; while half of respondents use a tablet to read a newspaper ( 41% on their smartphone). Mobile use — be it smartphone or tablet — is affecting all areas of people’s lives as these devices are increasingly the first they turn to in their leisure and business lives. Forty per cent said they had replaced either the desktop computer or laptop with a tablet device.

Social media and mobile use are intrinsically linked and 51% said the smartphone is their primary device for social media. Nearly all respondents aged 18-34 owned a smartphone and 91% of 18-24 year olds and 85% of 25-34 year olds used social networking sites and apps on their smartphone. Only 38% of 18-24 year olds owned a tablet, however. Tablet ownership jumps to 55% among 25 to 34 year olds and 65% report using another device or screen, primarily television ( 83%) at the same time as their tablet.

And while people use their mobiles to research products, even business related ones out of hours — 80% research products or services for business on a tablet in the evening — people still have concerns that are restricting purchasing via mobiles. Half cited security, 47% said it was because the website was not mobile enabled and 33% pointed to privacy worries.

For senior executives, smartphones are a critical business tool. The majority of senior executives ( 92%) own a smartphone used for business.

Tablet ownership has exploded among survey respondents rising from 20% in 2011 to 61% in 2014. In Latin America, 41% of respondents said their tablet had replaced their laptop computer with 59% reporting using their tablet device to purchase IT products for their business, the highest percentage of all regions surveyed.

Christina Carstensen, group client business director, IDG Global Solutions, said: “The ‘mobile evolution’ is having a profound effect on consumers and businesses. It has kick-started the ‘always-on’ culture, presenting brands with unprecedented opportunities to develop closer relationships with their customers. We have moved beyond media convergence to a convergence of technology and humans, and brands need to show their human side to communicate in a relevant, engaging and intuitive way.”

The survey was conducted among more than 23,500 executives and consumers across 43 countries.