At
the 3GSM World Congress, Palm announced the findings of a milestone study it has
sponsored across six European markets. The Global Mobile Mindset Audit revealed
that for more than 80 percent of respondents, access to personal information
management (PIM) such as calendar and contacts information is considered the
leading advantage of owning a mobile device after being able to make calls and
send text messages.
PIM data is valued more and used far more often by smartphone users than
capabilities such as music, MMS/video messaging and camera. The study -
conducted in association with the CMO Council's Forum to Advance the Mobile
Experience (FAME) – found that calendaring and contact management are used 'all
the time' or 'frequently' by 55 percent of smartphone users.
In addition to the prominent importance of PIM, analysis of the survey
results demonstrated two trends, described below:
Life Blending
- Mobile users are as likely to use the phone in business environments as
they were for recreational use. Palm describes this trend as 'life
blending,' where users demand functionality that enables them to more
effectively manage social and work commitments simultaneously and on a
single device.
- 40 percent are 'highly dependent' on and 'strongly attached' to their
mobile phone, more so than on any other device. Furthermore, an additional
15 percent of respondents said that they planned to increase their mobile
usage over the next year to 18 months. Palm believes that if users are
looking to increase device usage, they are likely to invest in a device that
enables 'life blending' as a priority.
Purchasing paradox
- An apparent paradox comes when comparing the habits of standard mobile
phone users with those of smartphone users. On a standard phone with PIM
capabilities, 57 percent of people rarely use this functionality and yet
they say it's a key reason for selecting a mobile device. It follows that if
users are looking to increase device usage, they are likely to invest in a
device that enables 'life blending' as a priority.
- The statistics show a clear divide between users of standard mobile
phones and smartphone users when looking at contact management and mobile
email. Contact management is used 'all the time' by twice as many smartphone
users as standard mobile-device customers.
- On email usage, 35 percent of standard mobile users who have email
functionality never use it, and only 8.5 percent use it frequently. Amongst
smartphone users, however, 45 percent use email "all the time" or frequently
– a factor Palm believes reflects the fact that smartphones are optimized
for email and other data uses.
Commenting on the study, Roy Bedlow, VP, Palm EMEA, said: "To address the
needs of work and leisure, Palm believes that a mobile needs to be easy to
use and a clear asset in accomplishing tasks. Simply enabling a mobile to
'technically' perform a function doesn't mean users will find the experience
rewarding enough to use it regularly. It stands to reason that more and more
people will demand one single device to manage both social and work
commitments more effectively."
Bedlow concluded: "Palm's heritage is in delivering a user experience
that is more straightforward. The future of mobile is mobile computing. To
truly benefit from the mobile experience, users need simple, integrated
functions, allowing them to blend their work and personal lives in any way
they choose, which is a major factor in smartphone uptake as this survey
confirms. This is apparent in what we deliver today and will deliver in the
future."
Cheers ~ Arne
