Although the number of people who own cell phones is similar to last year’s, people use much more of the phones’ capabilities than in 2009. Of all cell phone owners in the study:
- 54 percent have used their phone to send a photo or video.
- 23 percent have accessed a social networking site by phone.
- 20 percent have watched video using the phone.
- 15 percent have used the phone to post a photo or video online.
- 11 percent have purchased products using their phone.
- 11 percent have used texting to make a charitable donation.
- 10 percent have used their phone to access a status update service such as Twitter.
Not surprisingly, young adults (18-29) are most likely to use more of their phones’ capabilities (95 percent use mobile phones to text, 93 percent use them to take photos, and 20 percent use them to make purchases). But use of mobile capabilities is growing rapidly in the 30-to-49 age demographic. Among this group:
- 83 percent use their phone to take pictures (up 12 points from 2009).
- 39 percent use the phone to make videos (up 18 points).
- 36 percent use the phone to play music (up 15 points).
- 43 percent use the phone to go online (up 12 points).
More and more, cell phones are becoming essential tools for doing just about everything. And while it’s no surprise that younger consumers rely heavily on their phones, older consumers are quickly catching up. Whether by developing an iPhone app for your business, texting deals to customers, or optimizing your website for mobile access, think about how your business can be part of customers’ lives wherever they go.
