Smartphones are the No. 1 device owned by internet users in Australia, according to January 2016 research. And they’re more popular than desktops, laptops or tablets among all age groups except those over 65.
That’s according to polling from Bronto Software and Ipsos, which found that more than 90% of internet users under 65 had a smartphone. Among the oldest respondents, desktop PCs were the most common devce, followed by laptops. Notably, desktops were also less common than laptops among all other age groups.
Tablets, meanwhile, were fairly evenly distributed across age groups, with the highest penetration among 35- to 44-year-olds. Wearables too reached peak popularity with this group, at 13%.
And an even bigger divide in smartphone usage is revealed when examining digital purchasing.
For example, 55% of those ages 18 to 34 make purchases via their smartphone; just 23% of those ages 45 to 54 do the same. The converse is true, again, of desktops: 32% of those ages 18 to 24 make purchases on the device, while 62% of those ages 45 to 54 buy via desktop.
July 2015, eMarketer estimated that 64.7% of the population in Australia would make a digital this year. In 2017, that figure will reach 65.3%. So with about two-thirds of those in Australia buying online, it’s important for companies and sellers to remember to reach out to buyers on different devices.