What next for the mobile phone?

AIMIA
Thursday, 11 December, 2014

AIMIA, the Digital Industry Association for Australia, has released the independent findings of the Australian Mobile Phone Lifestyle Index (AMPLI). While the report focuses on consumer, rather than business, users, it provides valuable insight into trends regarding overall preferences. The survey is in its 10th iteration and the 2014 'special topic' is mobile phone use compared to tablet and PCs.

Of the 1405 sampled individuals, 53% own a mobile phone, a PC and a tablet. Just under 90% own a PC and a smartphone, while only 58% own a tablet. Despite the low level (compared with PC and smartphone owners), few respondents plan to purchase a tablet in the next 12 months, which AIMIA says suggests that tablet ownership is likely to stabilise unless something occurs that stimulates uptake.

How devices are used

Voice and SMS are associated with mobile phones and are critical differentiators when compared to the other two devices. Respondents were asked to rank the top ways they use their mobile phone; 26% ranked voice calls first or second, while 34% ranked SMS first or second, with emailing a distant third.

Unlike the mobile phone, PCs and tablets don't have one or two 'foundation' services, but instead have a cluster of services ranked either first or second by up to a quarter of respondents. For the PC, these services are:

to send and receive emails (25%)
to visit websites and/or browse or search the internet (20%)
to get information (18%)
to read or edit documents or files (15%)

For the tablet:

to visit websites and/or browse or search the internet (24%)
for entertainment purposes (21%)
to get information (19%)
to send and receive emails (17%)

Phones valued above tablets and personal computers

To determine the perceived value of devices, respondents were asked to choose between a car and a mobile phone and 70% chose a car. However, when it came to a TV versus a mobile phone, 61% chose a mobile.

Phones were declared the most popular smart devices, with over half the respondents choosing a mobile over a tablet or PC. Just over a third selected the PC and only 16% opted for a tablet.

Future and desired use of mobile phones

Respondents were asked about expected future use of mobile phones. Around 20% currently using a smartphone for email, accessing information and web browsing intend to increase this usage in the next 12 months. Between 14 and 17% currently using their phone for voice, SMS, entertainment, banking and online purchases intend to increase their use over 12 months.

Almost 40% of respondents would like to use their mobile for EFTPOS transactions or TV remote control, while over a third want to use it as a credit card.

Wearable tech

Compared with last year's survey, there has only been a small increase in ownership of wearable tech and a small increase in intended purchase over the next 6-12 months, indicating such technology is still emerging and an unknown reality for most respondents.

The AMPLI report is a collaborative industry research project carried out by the Mobile Industry Group (MIG) and authored by official research partner Complete the Picture Consulting. Visit AIMIA for further information.

Image credit: ©iStockphoto.com/Onur Döngel