Young US Mobile Users Want Advanced Features
New research from comScore Networks reveals that US consumers in the 18-to-24 age bracket view mobile phones as multi-functional accessories and want advanced features and personalisation options.
The report identifies 18 to 24 year olds as the Cellular Generation. These young adults grew up with mobile phone awareness, experiencing mobile phones as a part of their everyday lives.
Transitioners are those aged 25 to 34, and these people come in two distinct groups: those who grew up with mobile phone knowledge and those who did not.
Adult Adopters, meanwhile, are those aged 35 or older, and this group was not exposed to mobile phones until adulthood. Adult Adopters, says comScore, tend to have the most functional view of mobile phones, with many requiring just the basics and showing limited interest in emerging technologies.
Serge Matta, senior vice president of comScore Telecommunications Solutions, said: “During the past decade, cell phones have dramatically changed the communication habits of American consumers.
“While the youngest consumers grew up with the technology, those just a few years older did not, resulting in some pronounced differences in attitudes and behaviours towards cell phone usage across the various user segments.
“As cell phones continue to evolve in terms of design, functionality, and features, it is vital that cell phone providers and manufacturers understand the differing needs and desires of these distinct consumer segments.”
ComScore says that whilst consumers in both the Cellular Generation and Transitioners are likely to view their mobile phones as multi-dimensional devices, adult adopters tend to have a more functional view.
Approximately one-quarter of both the Cellular Generation (26%) and Transitioners (25%) said that ‘trendiness’ was of high importance when selecting a mobile phone, as compared to just 10% of Adult Adopters.
Additionally, 41% of Cellular Generation consumers strongly agree with the statement “I like my cell phone to be personalised” with options such as colour schemes and ring tones, while only 19% of Adult Adopters feel the same.
The Cellular Generation places the greatest value on additional features, with 57% ranking text messaging of ‘high importance’ when selecting a wireless carrier and 25% stating the same for instant messaging, in both cases higher than their more senior counterparts.
42% of the Cellular Generation said that a camera was of high importance when selecting a wireless phone and 20% said the same of an MP3 Player.
In comparison, 30% of Adult adopters felt that having a camera was of high importance, and just 8% felt the same about an MP3 Player.
| Mobile Phone Attitudes by Consumer Segment | |||
| October 25, 2006 – November 1, 2006 | |||
| n = 1,708 | |||
| Source: comScore Networks Wireless Report | |||
| Percent of Respondents | |||
| Cellular Generation | Transitioners | Adult Adopters | |
| High Importance* When Selecting a Wireless Carrier | |||
| Text-Messaging | 57% | 43% | 23% |
| Multimedia Messaging | 18% | 18% | 8% |
| Instant Messaging | 25% | 22% | 13% |
| High Importance* When Selecting a Mobile Phone | |||
| Text Messaging | 58% | 46% | 30% |
| Camera | 42% | 37% | 30% |
| Trendiness | 26% | 25% | 10% |
| MP3 Player | 20% | 19% | 8% |
| I like my phone to be personalized (i.e. colour, ring tones, etc.)** | |||
| Strongly Disagree | 13% | 25% | 45% |
| Strongly Agree | 41% | 32% | 19% |
| * High importance = selecting a 6 or 7 rating on a 7-point scale | |||
| ** Strongly disagree = selecting a 1 or 2 rating; Strongly agree = selecting a 6 or 7 rating on a 7-point scale | |||
More than three-quarters of both the Cellular Generation and Transitioners have the option to access the internet on their mobile phones, but Transitioners (29%) are more likely to subscribe to internet services than the Cellular Generation (23%).
Adult adopters have been the slowest to adopt this behaviour, with just 13% currently subscribing to the internet on their cell phones while 42% either lack, or are unaware of the option of doing so.
| Mobile Phone Internet Usage by Consumer Segment | |||
| October 25, 2006 – November 1, 2006 | |||
| n = 1,180 | |||
| Source: comScore Networks Wireless Report | |||
| Percent of Respondents | |||
| Cellular Generation | Transitioners | Adult Adopters | |
| Currently Subscribe | 23% | 29% | 13% |
| Subscribed in the Past | 22% | 19% | 9% |
| Never Subscribed | 33% | 27% | 36% |
| Unaware of/Don’t have Option | 22% | 25% | 42% |
A recent study from Forrester Research revealed that a growing number of consumers are moving from voice-only mobile services to other activities (see US Consumers Ready For Mobile Marketing).
The comScore report is based on a survey of US consumers who use a wireless phone, and analyses consumers’ satisfaction with wireless carriers, carrier switching behaviour and usage of wireless features that go beyond voice communication, including wireless internet.
For the purposes of this report, comScore conducted a survey among members of comScore’s panel of more than two million online consumers who have given comScore permission to track their complete behaviour on the Internet.
Recent figures from the Mobile Data Association revealed that there were over 4 billion text messages sent in the UK during December 2006 (see Record 4 Billion Texts Sent In December).