As in numerous other countries, the share of internet users who owned a desktop or laptop declined for the second year in a row, from 76.6% to 71.6% in H1 2021. Predictably, older respondents were most likely to own a PC; 77.0% of 55- to 64-year-olds had a desktop or laptop, for example, but that share had also dropped by more than 5 percentage points year over year (YoY).

Penetration of desktops, laptops, and tablets declined. Between H1 2020 and H1 2021, penetration of desktops, laptops, and tablets fell in virtually every market. Admittedly, several countries in Asia-Pacific—including China, Japan, and Thailand—saw modest gains for both devices. PC ownership also rose in India, UAE, and Vietnam.

Among countries monitored by GWI, only the Philippines recorded a higher daily mobile time, at 5:45 this year. In contrast to a pattern seen in many other markets, ownership of both PCs and tablets rose by a couple of percentage points this year, to 49.4% and 33.6%, respectively. Time spent with desktops, laptops, and tablets also climbed, from 3:38 in H1 2020 to 3:55 in H1 2021.

Desktops, laptops, and tablets accounted for almost an hour more of daily media time than mobile phones. In H1 2021, 94.6% of internet users owned a smartphone—a share essentially unchanged since H1 2019. By contrast, PC and tablet penetration both appear to have peaked. The share of respondents who owned a desktop or laptop slipped by more than 4 percentage points year over year, to 78.6%.

Mobile still claimed the larger share, at 5:45, but PCs and tablets posted an average 5:11 each day. Those figures rose by 15 minutes and 33 minutes from H1 2020, respectively. Social networking and messaging were also universal: Some 99.7% of respondents had accessed at least one of 37 named social platforms in the prior month, while 98.5% had used at least one of 20 named messaging services.

In H1 2021, more than 97% of survey respondents in Portugal owned a smartphone, and 85.4% owned a desktop or laptop. Some 48.1% of internet users were tablet owners. Time spent with both mobile and nonmobile devices rocketed, at least partly because of the pandemic. Internet users spent an average of 3:30 per day with their mobile phones in H1 2021, up from 3:12 last year.

Time spent with desktops, laptops, and tablets averaged 4 hours, 2 minutes (4:02) daily in H1 2021. This metric rose more steeply year over year than mobile time, which accounted for 3:08 daily. Digital video arguably now exceeds live TV in terms of reach, while paid-for video services made a quantum leap between 2020 and 2021.

Time spent with all major devices rose sharply in 2021, though mobile continued to claim the larger share. In H1 2021, internet users spent an average of 5 hours (5:00) daily with their smartphones and 4:36 with desktops/laptops and tablets. After a decline in 2020, game consoles had a somewhat better year; 32.6% of respondents owned one in H1 2021.

Ownership of desktop and laptop computers slipped to 87.1% of internet users ages 16 to 64 in H1 2021, a decline of about 2 percentage points since H1 2020. Only one demographic group—internet users ages 55 to 64—still registered ownership above 90%. Tablet ownership, which has fallen in many countries, rose marginally to 55.8% in H1 2021.

Broadcast TV remained a key media experience for internet users, with average daily viewing time rivaling that of mobile, at 2 hours, 16 minutes (2:16) in H1 2021. As of Q1, just over 89% of those surveyed had watched live TV in the month prior, while 69.0% had used a channel’s catch-up or on-demand services, and more than half had recorded TV shows to watch later.

Meanwhile, desktops, laptops, and tablets claimed 3:58. Both figures rose by a few minutes from H1 2020. Many digital devices held little appeal for local web users, or at least were not a priority purchase. Smartwatches were an exception to some extent, though penetration was barely into double digits, at 11.3% in H1 2021.

In H1 2021, the average time spent per day with mobile was 2 hours, 18 minutes (2:18)—compared with 3:19 spent with desktops/laptops and tablets. Mobile devices also claimed less time than broadcast TV (2:19).