I have been the proud owner of an iPhone for now over two years and yes it’s time for an upgrade.

The following article in The Australian newspaper this morning confirms what has happened to me personally…

‘Smartphone users are more likely to surf the internet than make a phone call as the behavioral patterns of consumers change, new research reveals.

With the latest iPhone hitting the Australian market last week, a global study by media company Initiative found that 51 per cent of owners of smartphones such as the iPhone and Blackberry were using their phones more for data-driven applications, mostly web surfing, while only 39 per cent were using them mainly to make calls.

Christopher O’Keefe, managing director of Initiative in Sydney, said use of smartphones was changing as customers upgraded, with implications for advertisers and content creators.

He said he believed mobile internet use was being underestimated.

“On any given day an Australian smartphone user spends an average of 27 minutes accessing mobile internet. And iPhone users are interacting with mobile internet more frequently than any other handset user.”

About 70 per cent of iPhone owners used their phones to surf the internet several times a day. 49 per cent of Blackberry owners used theirs that way, and 44 per cent of Nokia users did.

“Australians are avid emailers in the morning, taskers during the day, and social networkers after work.” Mr O’Keefe said.

When at home, many smartphone users were using their phones to surf while watching TV or listening to the radio.

Australians are also more interested in fun, escapism and social connectivity than the global average.

But the research also exploded the myth that younger owners are the most open to advertising on their smartphones. “Interestingly, people aged 35-44 are most engaged with mobile communications from companies rather than the younger generation, with almost 70 per cent of people in the demographic opening most or all of signed-up alerts,” he said.

The research also suggests consumers still view mobile advertising space as uncluttered, with just 36 per cent saying they were exposed to too many banner ads. And it was found that nearly 24 per cent of people in Australia were choosing to use the internet via their phone rather than on a PC.

“Convenience and accessibility are the primary reasons.”

Recent analysis of Vodafone by Ovum also showed that future growth was in data rather than voice.’

Source: Simon Canning for The Australian