Telecom Lead India: Mobile app is the primary attraction behind
every smartphone purchase, according to Ericsson ConsumerLab’s Emerging App
Culture report. Faster Internet access is also cited as another main reason
behind the purchase of smartphone among consumers in
Russia, India and Brazil.

 

The consumer survey found that 69 percent of smartphone
users accessed Internet using apps on a daily basis and 20 percent used
data-intensive services like video, TV, maps or navigation apps daily. New
smartphone users are as smart as mature users in accessing apps.

 

The top 10 activities performed by consumers who have
recently purchased a smartphone, in their order of popularity are: check in to
locations, use maps for navigation or traffic info, watch Internet TV, watch
movies, play online games, watch streaming video, play games on social
networking sites, watch live news, use Twitter, and read/write blogs.

 

For consumers, being connected and having access to
tools and services is what matters. They make little distinction between having
a smartphone and the apps they use in it,” said Jasmeet Singh Sethi, Senior
Specialist, Ericsson ConsumerLab.

 

Mobile app use differs across the three markets, with
Indian smartphone users more interested in downloading personalization apps,
such as screen savers, live wallpapers/themes and third party browsers apart
from social media apps and games. On the other hand Russians put their
smartphones to more utilitarian use and used apps that benefit the flow of
their everyday lives, such as those for navigation and maps, shopping
comparisons, barcode scanners, translators, dictionaries and so on, while the
Brazilians used apps that enhanced their social interactions.

 

In terms of respondents’ daily app usage, 49
percent reported using apps for social networking, 39 percent for chat, 31
percent for weather forecasts, 26 percent for news, 20 percent for maps, GPS
and navigation, and 12 percent for timetables and traffic.

 

“These figures reveal strong interest in apps that
enable consumers to deal with daily challenges and interact with people, places
and things in their urban surroundings. We believe that, “Smartphones and
apps will be key in transforming everyday life for people in high growth
markets going forward into the Networked Society,” said Sethi.

 

Ericsson ConsumerLab findings call for significant 3G network
investment in India

 

The recently announced findings of the Ericsson
ConsumerLab study call for significant investment in 3G network infrastructure
in India. Airtel, Aircel, Vodafone, Reliance Communications, Idea Cellular,
BSNL and MTNL need to invest in 3G roll outs to improve revenue streams.

 

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