Smartphones become the ‘remote control’ to people’s lives

In the Mobile Consumer report – which looks at mobile use of more than 4,000 UK consumers (as part of a global survey of 49,000 ) and is conducted by Ipsos MORI – the full extent of just how much people’s lives have become dependent on their mobile devices is revealed.

In 2015, more than 32 million smartphones will be shipped in the UK, the equivalent of one for every other person in Britain.

More than a third ( 36%) of smartphone owners look at their device more than 25 times a day; 16% of respondents look at their smartphone more than 50 times a day. One in ten ( 12%) smartphone owners reaches for their device immediately upon waking and more than half ( 55%) do so within 15 minutes of waking up.

It is a similar story at the end of the day: more than a quarter ( 28%) check their phones within five minutes before going to sleep every night.

And among younger people ( 18- to 24-year-olds) use is higher: 80% of young people use their devices on public transport and 43% while eating at a restaurant.

Paul Lee, head of technology, media and telecommunications research at Deloitte, said: “The modern, touchscreen-based smartphone is less than a decade old, but it is more intertwined with our lives than ever. Constant technological improvements are allowing us to delegate more and more tasks to our phones. The frequency of consumers glancing at their smartphones arguably makes it one of the best value devices available. For the sixth of smartphone owners who look at their devices 50 times or more a day, the cost per glance is less than two pence a day for a £700 handset kept for two years. And that’s before allowing for trade-in value.”

Ed Marsden, lead telecoms partner at Deloitte, said: “Consumers are planning their lives around their smartphones, which are quickly becoming the remote control for their lives. This will only increase the need for fast, uninterrupted connectivity. With 4G network speeds more than double that of 3G, it is not surprising that we have seen the number of 4G customers leap from eight to 25% in the last year.”

There has also been a significant increase in the number of UK adults who have made mobile payments in the year to May 2015, rising from three to 13% of respondents. However, just 1% use their phones to make payments via their mobile phone on a daily basis.The most common barrier to entry is security – cited by 42% of respondents.