1. Metro Manila residents have shown a sharp increase in certain types of mobile use in the year
since TNS unveiled its last annual Mobile Lifestyle study in 2012.
Mobile Users in more than 40 countries were polled for the 2013 report, which found growing
mobile penetration in the Philippines.
75% of Metro Manila respondents were now taking photos or videos, up slightly 73% in
last year's report.
45% were browsing the internet versus 32% in 2012, in line with global trends which
show that mobile phones have now become mobile computers, offering internet on the
go to the consumers, according to TNS.
44% a full 10% more than 2012 were using mobiles to access social networking sites.
37% compared to just 23% in 2012 - were using their mobiles to check their emails.
35% of Metro Manila respondents connect to the internet via WiFi access in the public
areas in 2013.
The study noted that mobile users have their purchasing priorities from buying a phone based
on its physical design to finding the right features that would enhance their personal
experience. The increase in smarthphone ownership reflected the changing need for users to
own phones that offered beyond just calling and texting functions. Telecommunications
charges have also evolve from minutes to data, as more and more consumers are using their
phones for internet enabled activities.
According to the study, 54% of consumers across all countries surveyed, regardless of gender
and age, consider mobile phone as their most important piece of technology, a finding reflected
in the Metro manila portion of the study. 64% of them believe that a mobile phone is their most
important piece of technology, while 53% said they currently own a smartphone, with a latter
seeing an increase of 11% from 2012 findings. TNS noted that smartphones were changing the
traditional mobile phone dynamics - it's role, performance, design, pricing and brand
preference.
The majority of respondents owned "multiple screens" or more than just one device, the 2013
reports discovered. A typical household own at least four of the following devices: A mobile
phone (89%), smartphones (53%), tablet (14%), desktop (39%), laptop/netbooks (37%), and
smart TV (4%).
Globally, smartphone ownership rose from 30% in 2012 to 42% this year, while global
penetration stood at 92% across the markets studied.
-HWM, TNS research
