The State of Mobile Connectivity

The State of Mobile Connectivity Lee Rainie, Director, Pew Internet Project 8.15.12 Handheld Librarian Email: Lrainie@pewinternet.org Twitter: @Lrainie PewInternet.org

The Very Nature of Information Has Changed Information Information is… was… Scarce All around us Expensive Cheap or freeShaped and controlled by elites Shaped and controlled by consumers and networks Designed for one-way, mass consumption Designed for sharing, participation and feedback Slow moving Immediate External to our worlds Embedded in our worlds

Information is Woven Into Our Lives Mobile is the needle, Social Networks are the thread Mobile… Social Networks… Moves information with us Surround us with information through our manyMakes information accessible connections ANYTIME and ANYWHERE Bring us information from Puts information at our multiple, varied sources fingertips Provide instant feedback, Magnifies the demand for meaning and context timely information Allow us to shape and createMakes information location- information ourselves and sensitive amplify others’ messages

Overall, if you had to use one single word to describe how you feel about your cell phone, what would that one word be?

The basics: 88% of adults have mobile devices 331.6 Total U.S. population: 315.5 million 2011

Mobile is the Needle: 88% of US Adults Have a Cell Phone % in each age group who have a cell phoneTeen data July 2011 Adult data Feb 2012

Smartphone tipping point -- 46%

Smartphones – 46%60%40% 66% 53%20% 35% 22% 20% 3%0% Millennials Gen X Younger Older Boomers Silent G.I. (18-34) (35-46) Boomers (57-65) Generation Generation (47-56) (66-74) (75+)

An internet device 17% use mobile as primary or exclusive online connection device – 45% of those ages 18-29 – 51% of blacks – 42% of Latinos – 38% of those in HH earning less than $50K

56% of adults own laptops –up from 30% in 200652% of adults own DVRs –up from 3% in 200244% of adults own MP3 players –up from 11% in 200542% of adults own game consoles19% of adults own e-book readers – KindleDoubles over holiday season19% of adults own tablet computer – iPadDoubles over holiday season

Cell phones as connecting tools % of cell owners • 64% send photo or video – Post video 25% • 55% access social net. site • 30% watch a video • 11% have purchased a product • 11% charitable donation by text • 60% (of Twitter users) access Twitter 2/22/2011 12

Location services % of smartphone owners80% May 2011 Feb 201270% 74%*60%50% 55%40%30%20% 18%10% 12%0% Geosocial services Location-based information services

Apps – 50% of adults Sept 2009 May 2010 August 2011100%80%60% 50* 43* 4340% 38* 38 29* 22%20% 0% Download apps to their Have preloaded apps on Total who have apps on phone their phone phone

Apps downloaders by age60%40% 56%20% 40% 25% 11% 1% 4%0% Millennials GenX Younger Older Boomers Silent G.I. Generation (18-34) (35-46) Boomers (57-65) Generation (66- (75+) (47-56) 74)

Apps: From Superhighway to BypassApps provide direct connections to information News, weather, sports or stocks updates 74% Learn about something youre interested in 64%Get info about a destination youre visiting 53% Help shop or make purchases 46% Get more info about an event youre attending 35% Based on August 2011 Pew Internet Tracking Survey

Rise of “connected viewers” – 52%All cell owners• 38used their phone to keep themselves occupied during commercials or breaks in something they were watching.• 22% used their phone to check whether something they heard on television was true or not.• 6% of cell owners used their phone to vote for a reality show contestant.Smartphone owners• 35% use phone to visit a of smasrtphonecell owners who website that was mentioned on television• 20% used their phone to see what other people were saying online about a program they were watching• 19% used their phone to post their own comments online about a program they were watching

Cell phone uses % of cell users have done these things in past 30 days• Coordinate a meeting or get-together – 41%• Solve an unexpected problem that they or someone else had encountered – 35%• Decide whether to visit a business, such as a restaurant – 30%• Find information to help settle an argument they were having – 27%• Look up a score of a sporting event – 23%• Get up-to-the-minute traffic or public transit information to find the fastest way to get somewhere – 20%• Get help in an emergency situation – 19%

Mobile health• 17% of cell owners have used their phone to look up health or medical information; 29% of cell owners ages 18-29 have done such searches.• 9% of cell owners have software applications or “apps” on their phones that help them track or manage their health; 15% of those ages 18-29 have such apps.

Mobile politics - 26% of adults used cell phones for political purposes in 2010• 14% used their cell phones to tell others that they voted• 12% used their cell phones to keep up with political news• 10% sent text messages relating to the election• 6% used their cells to let others know about conditions at their local voting stations on election day• 4% used their phones to monitor results on election night• 3% used their cells to shoot/share photos/videos about election• 1% used a cell-phone app that provided updates about election news• 1% contributed money by text message Internet and Politics 3/9/2011 21

News and local news All adults 84% own a cell phone and/or tablet computer 47% get local news or information on their cell phone or tablet

In-store purchasing decisions60%40% 38% 25% 24%20% 34% 22% 22%0% Call a friend for advice Look up prices online of a Look up product reviews about a purchase product you found in a online of a product you store found in a store % of all adults % of cell owners

How Phones Function In Our Lives % of US adult cell owners who had done each of the following in the past 30 days… Used phone to get information they 64% needed right away 51% Used phone to entertain themselves 70% while bored 42%Turned phone off to get a break from 32% using it 29%Had trouble doing something because 42% they did not have phone with them 27%Pretended to be using phone to avoid 30% interacting with those around them 13% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 18-29 year-olds Total adults

Thank you!

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The State of Mobile Connectivity

by Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project on Aug 13, 2012

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