Smartphone market will grow 20% in the next 12 months

The smartphone market will grow 20% in the next 12 months.

More than 55% adults will have smartphones by mid next year, according to a new Smartphone Market monitoring report from Horizon Research.

This will put the new technology into the hands of about another 621,300 Kiwis.

Based on interviews of 3,022 adults nationwide in July, the Horizon survey also finds which of 37 smartphone applications New Zealanders most use – and most and least like using.

Part of a Horizon Market Monitor series of research projects, the study finds 36.2% of adult respondents now have smartphones.

Horizon says there will be rapid growth in ownership: A further 19.1% say they plan to get a smartphone during the next 12 months, 3.5% of these within the next 3 months, 2.5% in the next 6 months and 13.1% in the next 12 months.

The survey indicates 55.3% of adults will have smartphones by mid-2013.

Do you have a smart phone?

The research also finds 2 degrees, while it has smaller market share, has more customers using smartphones than the other two main mobile service providers: 40.8% of 2 degree customers have smartphones, 36.2% of Vodafone’s and 32% of Telecom’s.

However, more Vodafone customers intend acquiring smartphones during the next 12 months, compared with Telecom and 2 degrees customers.

Users and potential users by provider

Horizon says its study identifies which market segments by age, income, occupation and location  will be looking to acquire the new technology in the next three, six and twelve months.

Aucklanders will be moving to the new technology faster than the population as a whole.

Smartphone use is highest among 25 – 34 year olds at 53.5%. Among this group21.7% indicated they plan to get a smart phone in the next 12 months. Horizon says Smartphone use declines as age increases.

Smartphone use also increases with income, spiking among those earning between $100,001 and $150,000 per year.

Used and favoured applications

Respondents were presented with a list of 37 applications for their smartphones and asked which ones they used and enjoyed.

Video calling, free internet telephone calling and texting and You Tube are the top five most enjoyed applications.

The five least enjoyed applications are pay-for internet telephone services, real time location-driven advertising offers, voice recognition to manage the phone, shopping services and making calls.

Horizon says the ranking of applications used and enjoyed could provide an important insight for those developing applications or building e-commerce off existing applications.

Horizon is making the 22-page Monitor report, which includes 42 demographic tables covering market penetration, buying intentions and applications used and enjoyed, available to clients in combination with access to its unique online results analysis and reporting system.

Please click here to download the report's table of contents.

To purchase the Smartphone Market 2012 report and for further reporting and analysis, additional rights to use the report or commission special research on the smartphone and other markets, please contact:

Graeme Colman

Principal

Horizon Research

E-mail: gcolman@horizonresearch.co.nz

Telephone" +64 (21) 84 8576