Communication, entertainment most popular uses of web-enabled smart devices and PCs
While adoption of smart devices in India is still relatively low, smartphones and tablets are slowly asserting their dominance among internet users, according to a May 2012 survey of mobile internet users in India conducted by mobile ad network inMobi and mobile marketing network Mobext. The research found that web-enabled devices are already having a demonstrable effect on media consumption and shopping habits in India.
Smartphone users spent the greatest average amount of time on their various devices, indicating that the move to mobile in India is gaining steam. Smartphone users in India spent an average of 247.6 minutes per day on their connected devices, compared with 176.3 minutes spent on devices by PC users on average. While tablet users trailed both at an average of 136.3 minutes per day across all devices, that figure is likely to climb since India is still an immature market for the devices.
Consumers in India are also quickly moving to incorporate smart devices into their online activities—with smartphones and tablets often serving as the first regular access point to the internet for many consumers. The consumption of entertainment content and communications activities were the most popular uses of all web-enabled devices (PCs, tablets and smartphones), but that is likely to change as more people become comfortable with the idea of ecommerce and online business services.
Despite the adoption of newer technologies, India still remains a mass media-dominated landscape, with television and newspapers remaining very popular. But the growing penetration of PCs and smart devices does seem to be displacing these older channels. Tablet users, especially, were likeliest to replace time they used to spend watching television with their new devices. In fact, 30.5% of tablet users reported that they watched TV less after purchasing the device, compared with 27.4% of PC users and 21.9% of smartphone users.
The second-screen phenomenon also appears to be taking root in India, with tablet users again leading the pack—41% of them reported using their devices while watching TV, compared with 34% of smartphone users and 36% of PC users.
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