Australia

With the release of the Apple iPad in Australia, Alan Long, Research Director for Experian Hitwise, investigated the online search behaviour of consumers. He found similarities in search behaviour, as for the Apple iPhone, whereby consumer interest moved from product searches to an increasing focus on data plans and prices as the launch date loomed. However, application searches have not been as dominant after iPad's initial announcement, as they were for the iPhone.

With Apple initially launching the iPad in the US, Australians have been able to read reviews and news from the US market to understand the benefits on owning an iPad, before its launch here. Applications are no longer the mystery they were when the iPhone was launched, so the excitement/interest, whilst still relatively strong, has not been the key search driver. The major interest has been around news, reviews, pricing, applications and of course the final release date of the iPad.

Optus and Telstra are the dominant carrier's associated with the iPad, no doubt benefiting from the iPhone's popularity, followed by Vodafone. Telstra and Optus' positions are reversed, when compared to the weeks leading up to iPhone launch in July 2008 - this is seen through the search term portfolios relating to iPad and the respective carrier brands.

(Experian Hitwise Australia Newsletter, June 2010)

Ownership of wireless technology such as laptops has jumped from 49% to 63% in 2008 in Australia and wireless LAN ownership is up more than 20 pts to 53%, according to Nielsen Online.

Nielsen also reveals that mobile ownership has almost reached saturation point in Australia, with 92% now reporting to own a mobile phone. Overall device capabilities and use of a range of mobile functions such as GPS navigation, document reader and mobile internet has also seen an increase compared to 12 months ago, particularly for younger users (aged 16 to 29 years), although cost remains a key barrier for expanded mobile capabilities. (Nielsen Online, March 2009)