At the-marketing-labs, we’ve been talking to digital-first consumers since 2012. Through our proprietary insights communities, we specifically recruited members in France & UK to shed a light on people's evolving needs. We discuss on a regular basis technology, food & drinks, lifestyle, shopping, home, everyday life and society trends.
And one topic where we've seen great change in recent years is Smartphone usage.
Since 2013, smartphones have become an integral part of people’s daily lives. Advances in technology and the proliferation of high-speed internet, even in previously hard-to-reach rural areas, have led to an increase in smartphone adoption rates.
The GSM Association, the body representing mobile operators and organisations across the mobile ecosystem worldwide, states in ‘The Mobile Economy 2023’, that by the end 2022, 55% of the population worldwide were using a Smartphone to go online. In Europe, that’s 85% of the population, the highest rate globally and just ahead of North America.
The ubiquitous little device
Smartphones have evolved far beyond communication tools and have become our companions, teachers, assistants, and more. The usage of smartphones for remote work and learning has increased significantly due to the flexible schedules they allow. Apps and platforms for collaboration, productivity, and project management have become more user-friendly and efficient, catering to this trend.
Payments, shopping, and banking through smartphones have become the norm, and these transactions are more secure with advanced biometric authentications.
No wonder that the ubiquitous nature of the smartphone has been of value to members of our community across both France and the United Kingdom.
Whether it’s for entertainment, shopping, banking or seemingly just about anything else, the device’s ease of use and convenience has made it an integral tool in the lives of our participants.
The ease of use of the smartphone and its capacity to deliver just about any imaginable service has meant that it has become a ubiquitous device that facilitates the activities of its users in a plethora of ways.
I must admit I use my mobile for everything these days including video calls, banking, and shopping. Everything apart from making calls. (Member of our UK community, 2022)
I only carry my phone and everything I need is on it (except for passport), so carrying cash or card is unnecessary and the phone provides so many more options and things to do. (Member of our UK community, 2022)
In a few days, we'll release our Smartphone usage update 2023. Get in touch via our contact section if you want to know more on the topic or see how we can help you organise online discussions in our communities.