People Prefer Smartphones for E-mail - Survey

Intuwave, the mobile software specialist focused on realising the potential of Smartphones has released survey results showing UK consumers have woken up to the possibilities of the new generation of mobile handsets. It revealed that a slim majority of consumers would prefer to receive e-mail via their handsets than via a laptop computer and that demand remains high for a variety of mobile data services. However, Intuwave advised that the mobile industry needs to be more proactive in supporting users in their use of these applications if it is to take advantage of this demand.

The survey revealed that 31% of interviewees preferred to receive e-mail via their mobile phones with 30% preferring to use laptops. (Only 4% preferred to use a PDA with the remainder unsure). It also showed high interest in other services with 46% of consumers wishing to use their phone for location-based services (such as identifying and calling a local taxi firm), slightly ahead of e-mail (44%), photo messaging (32% and calendaring/scheduling (30%). The survey was conducted on Intuwave's behalf by research specialists Taylor Nelson Sofres who interviewed 501 adults in March, 2003.

Andrew Wyatt, Vice President, Strategic Marketing, Intuwave, said, "It's clear that consumers know mobile handsets are capable of much more than just making voice calls and texting: Smartphones now really have come of age. The next challenge for the industry is to translate this clear demand - for e-mail and other mobile services - into increased handset sales and higher operator ARPU. This can only be done by clearly promoting the services & properly supporting users in their trial and use."

"Global Smartphone shipments are already growing quickly," said Jessica Figueras, senior analyst at Ovum. "We are forecasting shipments to reach over 130 million in 2007. The proliferation of these new and capable devices will create new possibilities for users - but it will also mean more complexity. Mobile phone users have come to expect high levels of reliability and usability, and the industry must ensure that they are not disappointed by the new breed of Smartphones."

The quality of customer support provided to mobile users today is generally poor with new handsets and more sophisticated services putting even greater strain on resources. As many as two thirds of an operator's existing customers consider service to be 'awful', according to a Connectivityman survey, and one industry example quotes times for support calls for an existing Smartphone as increasing to 30 minutes or longer.

Wyatt continued, "'Improving the quality of customer support whilst minimising costs is the biggest single challenge facing network operators that wish to realise this pent up demand for Smartphone email and similar data services. "

Posted to the site on 19th May 2003