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Mobile Devices
Mobile / Smartphones
QR codes may not yet have hit critical mass in Europe, but the audience size is still significant. There were 5.1 million QR code users in July 2012 in Germany, 3.3 million in the UK and another 3.4 million in Spain, according to comScore.
The study found that Germany also led in QR code market penetration-18.6% of smartphone owners there were QR code users, meaning that well over a majority of smartphone owners still have not yet embraced QR codes.
Smartphone users in the EU-5 who scan QR codes, by country, July 2012:
EU-5: 17.4 million (14.1% of total smartphone owners), +96% vs. July 2011
- Spain: 3.4 million (16.0% of total smartphone owners), +218% vs. July 2011
- Germany: 5.1 million (18.6% of total smartphone owners), +128% vs. July 2011
- Italy: 2.8 million (11.9% of total smartphone owners), +75% vs. July 2011
- France: 2.8 million (12.5% of total smartphone owners), +71% vs. July 2011
- UK: 3.3 million (11.4% of total smartphone owners), +43$ vs. July 2011
(eMarketer, January 2013)
European smartphone users scanning QR codes via their devices grew by 96% in the past year to 17.4 million users for the three month average period ending July 2012, according to a comScore overview of mobile commerce and QR code usage across the five leading European markets (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom).
Nearly 3 in every 4 QR code scans resulted in users receiving product information, making this the most popular type of result across Europe. Germany ranked first for usage of QR codes with 18.6% of smartphone users making use of the service, several percentage points higher than its European counterparts.
Smartphone audience scanning QR codes via their devices (3 month average ending July 2012), total EU5, Age 13+:
EU5: 17,390,000 (+96% year-on-year growth), representing 14.1% of smartphone audience
- France: 2,843,000 (+71%), 12.5%
- Germany: 5,084,000 (+128%), 18.6%
- Italy: 2,765,000 (+75%), 11.9%
- Spain: 3,381,000 (+218%), 16.0%
- UK: 3,316,000 (+43%), 11.4%
(comScore, September 2012)
More than a third of European holidaymakers say that good mobile data coverage is a determining factor when choosing a destination, with 86% expecting wireless connectivity at their hotels to feed their "online addiction." The finding comes from research conducted by leader in fabric networking, Brocade, which points to a sea change in the holidaying patterns of increasingly well-connected European travellers.
Research findings show that:
- On holiday, as at home, the temptation to work from mobile devices persists, with more than half of holidaymakers admitting to doing so.
- Some 95% of the respondents admitted taking their mobile devices on holiday, and they are as likely to use them for work as for personal use. More than half (56%) of respondents said that they used their mobile device for accessing work e-mail or downloading work documents, an increase over last year's figure of 48%.
- More than a third (37%) of respondents noted that good mobile data coverage (for example, 3G/4G) was a determining factor in their choice of destination. Furthermore, 86% expected hotels to provide free Wi-Fi access. A lack of available Wi-Fi was also the second most popular concern about accessing the Internet from abroad, behind only high roaming costs.
- Smartphones emerged as the most popular device for holidaymakers, with 91% of respondents taking one with them on holiday. This was followed closely by laptops and netbooks (49%), and tablet computers (42%).
(TravelDailyNews, July 2012)
90.4 million EU5 visitors accessed Maps sites via computer in March 2012, representing 49.6% of the internet audience. In comparison, 39.8 million smartphone users accessed maps via their device, representing 35% of the EU5 smartphone audience, according to comScore.
Across EU5 markets, the smartphone Map audience increased 55% over the past year while map access via computer grew just 8%. Hesham Al-Jehani, European mobile product manager at comScore indicates that Smartphones are quickly becoming the primary platform for on-the-go services such as maps and navigation. With apps such as Google Maps coming pre-installed on many phones it's becoming second nature for many to rely on the smart device to show the way. The days of checking routes in advance and printing maps will soon be past.
France ranked first for penetration of Maps sites via computer (53.4% reach) but ranked last when it came to smartphone map access (30.4% reach). The UK was the top market in terms of Map access via smartphones at 40.2%. The German smartphone map audience showed the greatest increase among EU5 markets at 89%, followed closely by Spain at 76%. Italy had the slimmest increase in smartphone map access at 35%, but showed the fastest growth rate on computers at 22%. (comScore, May 2012)
47.6% of mobile subscribers in the EU5 have used a smartphone in the 3 months ending March 2012, while 41.4% used a pre-installed application, according to an overview by comScore of the mobile and connected device landscape across five leading European markets (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK).
Mobile Benchmark Data for the EU5 Market, 3 Month Average Ending March 2012 (Total EU5 - DE, FR, IT, ES and UK - Age 13+):
USED SMARTPHONE
- EU5: 47.6%
- France: 44.7%
- Germany: 41.0%
- Italy: 45.3%
- Spain: 55.2%
- UK: 55.0%
USED APPLICATION (excl. pre-installed)
- EU5: 41.4%
- France: 37.4%
- Germany: 37.1%
- Italy: 35.3%
- Spain: 47.1%
- UK: 52.2%
USED BROWSER
- EU: 41.1%
- France: 40.0%
- Germany: 34.7%
- Italy: 35.4%
- Spain: 44.8%
- UK: 52.7%
ACCESSED SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE OR BLOG
- EU: 28.0%
- France: 24.9%
- Germany: 22.1%
- Italy: 24.3%
- Spain: 31.3%
- UK: 39.2%
(comScore, May 2012)
Members of the European Parliament and representatives of the Council and the European Commission have reached a preliminary deal on new EU Roaming rules. It is being highlighted that these rules will lead to a structural and durable solution to the high cost of using mobile phones and other smart devices whilst travelling in the EU.
The European Parliament is expected to approve this agreement in May 2012 and the Council in June 2012, paving the way for the new rules to enter into force on 1st July 2012.
The rules will create more competition in the roaming market. In the meantime they impose new safeguard limits on consumer prices, including a new price cap for data roaming, which will progressively bring prices down from current high levels until the benefits of competition have fully kicked in. Under the new rules, which will enter into force on 1st July 2012, consumers will pay no more than:
- 29 cents per minute to make a call,
- 8 cents per minute to receive a call,
- 9 cents to send a text message
- 70 cents per Megabyte to download data or browse the Internet whilst travelling abroad (charged per Kilobyte used).
These regulated price caps will progressively go down so that by 1 July 2014, roaming consumers will be paying no more than 19 cents per minute to make a call, a maximum 5 cents per minute to receive a call, maximum 6 cents to send a text message and maximum 20 cents per Megabyte to download data or browse the Internet whilst travelling abroad (charged per Kilobyte used). (EyeForTravel, April 2012)
Mobile internet usage is surging in Central and Eastern Europe, with mobile accounting for 2% of total online page views in the Ukraine, 2.1% in the Czech Republic and 4.2% in Slovakia in October 2011, according to Gemius.
Gemius found that the majority of mobile internet page views in the countries in Central and Eastern Europe that it tracks-Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Ukraine-came from Apple's iPad and iPhone devices, while Samsung's Galaxy S and Galaxy S II devices came in third and fourth, respectively.
Top five mobile devices in Central and Eastern Europe, ranked by mobile internet page views, October 2011 (% of mobile page views):
1. Apple iPad: 21.1%
2. Apple iPhone: 13.9%
3. Samsung GT-i9000 (Galaxy S): 2.6%
4. Samsung GT-i9100 (Galaxy S II): 2.2%
5. HTC Desire: 1.9%
eMarketer estimates there will be 210.9 million internet users in Central and Eastern Europe, including Russia, by the end of this year. The figure is forecast to reach 270.8 million in 2016. If current trends continue, a large portion of those users will access the web via a mobile device.
eMarketer's internet user estimate includes users of any age who access the internet from any location via any device, including mobile, at least once per month. (eMarketer, March 2012)
Demand for mobile phones once again increased in Europe in 2011, largely as a result of the rising popularity of smartphones, according to GfK findings on the mobile phone market in 2011. In 2011, 258 million handsets were bought by European consumers, a 3.2% increase on 2010. This positive development was attributable above all to one segment in the mobile phone market: smartphones, sales of which shot up by 67%. (GfK, February 2012)
14.2% of mobile phone owners in the CEE region have a smartphone, according to the findings of the CEE Telco Industry Report 2011, an international study conducted in 15 CEE countries on a sample comprising more than 15,000 respondents.
Looking at specific countries, the largest share of consumers who own -one of these high-end mobile devices can be found in Slovenia, Turkey and Lithuania, whilst Slovakia, Ukraine and Romania bring up the rear of the league chart. Accessing the internet from one's own handset is a trend that goes hand in hand with the expansion of smartphones. This progressive group of consumers is also very appealing for retailers because smartphone owners account for 31% of the CEE online-shopping population.
Use of Smartphones in CEE countries, 2011:
- Slovenia: 27.6% of mobile phone owners in the country
- Turkey: 23.7%
- Lithuania: 18.5%
- Kazakhstan: 15.7%
- Croatia: 15.5%
- Bosnia-Herzegovina: 15.5%
- Czech Republic: 14.3%
- Serbia: 13.3%
- Hungary: 12.9%
- Estonia: 12.7%
- Russia: 11.8%
- Latvia: 10.7%
- Slovakia: 9.3%
- Ukraine: 8.9%
- Romania: 8.4%
Men slightly dominate among smartphone owners; however this does not imply that these handsets are a purely male preserve in the CEE region. It is quite the other way round - males lead in smartphone penetration by only 3%. Moreover, in countries like Lithuania, Latvia and Russia, the penetration of smartphones between men and women is comparable. Conversely, the most substantial differences in male/female smartphone ownership can be seen in Slovenia and the Czech Republic, where this type of handset is more often found among males.
Owners of smartphones represent an attractive target audience for the advertising industry because the likelihood of reaching them via online marketing is considerably higher compared to owners of regular handsets. In contrast to users of mobile phones that do not fall into the smartphone category, they are much more intensive in accessing the internet from their handset and they are more avid uses of web-based services, such as online shopping and internet banking. Smartphone owners also access the internet in order to use social networks. It is certainly of interest, that as many as 75% of smartphone users in the CEE use social networks to communicate with other individuals. (GfK Group, October 2011)
Mobile adoption among European travellers continues to grow, with intentions for travel-related mobile activity in the next twelve months surging. Yet not all travelers are equally "mad for mobile" across the French, German and UK markets, according to PhoCusWright's European Consumer Travel Report Second Edition.
On average, over half of travelers with mobile phones in the three markets use them to access the internet. German travellers, however, are significantly less inclined to have smartphones (45%) than French and UK travellers (58% for both). Yet when they do access the internet on their mobile devices, Germans do not lag far in performing travel-related activities - 13% of French mobile users have made a booking compared to 11% of Germans.
All three markets saw a huge rise in intentions for travel-related mobile activity in the next 12 months, with travellers keen to research and purchase travel products via mobile, as well as to use their phones for real-time in-destination functions. Despite a growing desire to connect while on-the-go, gaps in mobile engagement persist. While 32% of French mobile users and 28% of those in the UK plan to book on their phone in the next year, just 20% of Germans anticipate doing so. (PhoCusWright FYI, October 2011)
More than half of all Europeans take at least one holiday each year, which means some 250 million people are well versed in planning what essential items to squeeze into their luggage. New research from Brocade shows that, along with sun cream and swimsuits, 95% of European holidaymakers take at least one internet-enabled device with them and are simply not prepared to "switch off" from e-mail (work or personal), online entertainment or social media sites.
Half of those surveyed plan to access the internet at least once a day while more than 40% actively seek destinations that offer always-on connectivity, from anywhere at anytime, placing a huge burden on service providers and leisure facilities to ensure adequate coverage in even the most remote of locations. For example, a quarter of these sun-seekers reported that they have accessed content from the beach, and, amazingly, four percent have found time to log on in the jungle.
Internet penetration in Europe far exceeds the global average - 67% versus 27% - and the number of users has grown almost 260% since 2000. Users today demand ubiquitous access to content, from wherever they might be, which has seen use of mobile devices soar in recent years; IDC, for example, states that smartphone sales more than doubled year-over-year in the first three months of 2011, seeing almost 100 million devices sold. Add to this the fact that video and TV streaming will soon surpass Web and internet traffic, and it is easy to see how modern consumer habits are changing, even in terms of planning vacations around internet connectivity.
According to the research, typical holidaymakers take at least one mobile device with them, such as a laptop, tablet or smartphone. The majority of respondents rely on these devices to stay in touch with friends and family at home, with 40% freely admitting that they cannot be separated from their social media tools.
Surprisingly, nearly a third of respondents use their devices on holiday for work reasons - such as checking e-mails, downloading documents or just being available to customers and co-workers - despite almost 60% admitting that it occasionally causes friction with their fellow relaxation seekers.
Other key findings included:
- 64% of respondents were aged between 25 and 44, indicating that the professional age group is driving the need for always-on connectivity
- Of the respondents, 84% relied on smartphones while on holiday, favouring ultra-portable devices over bulkier devices, such as laptops
- Half of those surveyed continued to use their devices (personal or work) abroad just as if they were at home, with more than three quarters regularly downloading personal e-mail and 48% accessing work e-mail/documents
- Only seven percent never accessed the internet while on holiday.
(TravelDailyNews, July 2011)
34.5% of mobile subscribers in the EU5 used a smartphone in the 3 month average ending March 2011, according to comScore. The findings also show that 31.0% went online via their mobile device and 30.3% used an App (excluding pre-installed App).
Mobile benchmark data for the European Market, 3 month average ending March 2011 - Total EU5 (UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy), Age 13+:
EU5: 34.5% of mobile subscribers used smartphone / 31.0% used browser / 30.3% used App
- France: 30.4% / 31.3% / 28.1%
- Germany: 27.6% / 24.6% / 26.5%
- Italy: 37.9% / 27.8% / 28.4%
- Spain: 39.8% / 28.7% / 29.6%
- UK: 39.2% / 42.7% / 39.3%
(comScore, May 2011)
The number of mobile web users in the EU-5 (UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain) is expected to double between 2010 and 2015, according to eMarketer.
More than 58 million residents of the EU-5 will use the mobile internet at least monthly in 2011, according to eMarketer estimates. That will represent less than a quarter of the population.
Mobile internet users and penetration in the EU-5, 2009-2015:
- 2009: 34.7 million (14.7% of mobile phone users)
- 2010: 47.6 million (19.7%)
- 2011: 58.3 million (23.5%)
- 2012: 67.9 million (26.8%)
- 2013: 77.2 million (29.9%)
- 2014: 85.7 million (32.5%)
- 2015: 94.0 million (35.1%)
The willingness of consumers in Europe to interact with brands on their mobile phones (and their growing appetite for perks such as coupons and special offer alerts) have jump-started a new phase in mobile marketing, according to eMarketer. (eMarketer, April 2011)
It is estimated that 87% of mobile phones now being manufactured are smart phones, and by next year 85% of all handsets will access the mobile internet. To keep ahead of the game, European Cities Marketing is launching an Android application - a mobile tool enabling tourists to experience 35 European Cities spread over 20 European countries.
Wendy Sieger-Kintzen, Chairperson of the European City Card Group and Manager at Amsterdam Tourism & Convention Board said that this is the great end-product of 35 cities sharing knowledge and working together constructively. In future, other cities will hopefully follow and acknowledge the added value for visitors through this unique cooperation. With the forecasted growth of Android in the forthcoming years, they hope to reach and serve many more visitors. (European Cities Marketing, December 2010)
Mobile phone manufacturers are poised to take over from Google as the most powerful technological players in the European travel and tourism industry, according to the WTM Global Trends Report.
The report, in association with Euromonitor international, predicts increasing smartphone penetration across Europe will drive a shift in power from search giants such as Google to smartphone developers and manufacturers.
Devices such as the iPhone and the development of location-based applications are already revolutionising the travel industry, with smartphone penetration expected to reach 92% in Europe by 2014, according to Ovum, and mobile web browsing set to overtake PC internet access in the same year.
The increasing importance of mobile is likely to displace giants such as Google as consumers increasingly view social media such as Facebook as a portal to access all their information as well as seek to access travel via purpose built applications.
Smartphone Travel Usage Research from 2010 reveals 34% used their mobile device to find travel information, 29% to check reservations and 25% to book accommodation according to compete.com.
In addition, the European Commission has promised action on high international roaming costs, seen as the biggest obstacle to the trend, if mobile networks do not take steps to bring down costs themselves.
Euromonitor International Head of Global Travel and Tourism Research Caroline Bremner said that by 2015, 50% of European travellers are forecast to use a smartphone to find travel information and/or make reservations. Mobile developers and manufacturers are well placed to get a slice of the pie. (eTN eTurboNews - Global Travel Industry News, November 2010)
Mobile marketing in the EU5 countries UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy reached 100 million mobile phone subscribers via SMS ads, according to comScore.
Conversely, more than 57 million subscribers recalled seeing an ad on their mobile phone when browsing the internet or accessing an application. Smartphone owners accounted for more than half of the subscribers who received and recalled seeing Web/App ads.
Across the EU5 countries, SMS ads reached 43.6% of the 230.5 million mobile users in September 2010, while Web/App ads were seen and recalled by nearly a quarter of the total mobile audience. The most common type of SMS advert recalled was product, service or brand information, which more than 60 million mobile phone owners received, equalling a 26.3% reach across the EU5 countries.
EU5 mobile advertising (3 month average ending September 2010) - Total EU5 UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy, Age 13+:
Total Audience (13+ yrs old): 230,500,000
- Recall seeing Web/App Ads: 57,264,000 (24.8% reach)
- Received SMS Ads: 100,456,000 (43.6%)
- Received info about product/service/brand SMS Ads: 60,665,000 (26.3%)
- Received contest SMS Ads: 33,369,000 (14.5%)
- Received coupon or discount SMS Ads: 20,520,000 (8.9%)
- Received donation to charity/non-profit SMS Ads: 9,672,000 (4.2%)
In September 2010, 24.8% of all mobile users in the EU5 countries (UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy) recalled seeing ads within an app or when browsing online via their mobile device. Smartphone users were twice as likely to be exposed to mobile advertising as the average mobile subscriber, with 50% of all 64.3 million smartphone users recalled seeing a web or app ad. The UK topped the ranking with nearly two out of three smartphone users having recalled seeing an ad while browsing or using an app, followed by French smartphone owners, of which more than half saw a web or app ad.
Recall Seeing Web/App Ads by Country (3 month average ending September 2010) - Total EU5 (UK, DE, FR, ES and IT), Age 13+:
EU5: 24.8 % share of mobile subscribers who recall seeing Web/App Ads / 50.0 % share of smartphone owners who recall seeing Web/App Ads
- UK: 32.0% / 62.7%
- Italy: 24.9% / 41.9%
- France: 23.6% / 54.5%
- Germany: 20.3% / 48.0%
- Spain: 23.5% / 43.3%
In September 2010, 82.1% of EU5 mobile subscribers used text messaging on their mobile device, while applications (excluding pre-installed games) were used by 26.2% and browsers by 27.7% of subscribers. More than a quarter (25.2%) of European mobile phone owners listened to music on their mobile phone, while 16.7% accessed social networking sites or blogs. 38.2% of the EU5 mobile audience accessed news and information and 24.9% played games. 30.2% of mobile subscribers across the five European countries own a smartphone. (comScore, November 2010)
An increase in mobile ad spending in the EU-5 is forecasted from $122.6 million in 2010 to $1.29 billion in 2015, according to Mobile ad network aggregator Smaato and research firm mobileSQUARED. In the same period, mobile display spending alone is expected to rise from $52.8 million to $339.1 million. (eMarketer, December 2010)
The European Commission has launched a public consultation on how to improve competition in mobile phone roaming services in the 27-nation European Union bloc. European citizens should pay the same mobile phone charges no matter what European Union country they may find themselves in, stressed the Commission.
The EU Commissioner for Europe's digital agenda, Neelie Kroes, said the price gap between domestic mobile charges and roaming rates remains unjustifiably high. Consequently, she said her ultimate aim is to reduce the gap to nothing by 2015.
To date, the Commission has legislated to bring down the cost of making calls and sending texts while visiting other member states. In future, it plans to do more to reduce the extortionate cost of using smartphones to surf the web or download data when abroad in Europe.
The new model, if adopted, would allow customers attached to a single network in their home country to pick from a range of operators as they travelled to other European countries. It would be a move away from price caps, which was a high-profile piece of regulation that resonated with consumers far more than most other EU legislation. The caps reduced roaming prices to a maximum of 39 cents a minute to make calls and 15 cents a minute to receive calls, with text messages costing 11 cents each. Data download prices are also controlled, albeit less stringently. (eyefortravel, December 2010)
45% of consumers in the UK, France and Germany noticed mobile advertising, and of these, 29% responded to it, according to figures released by the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA). Over a third (39%) then went on to make a purchase.
Mobile advertising that included time sensitive special offers or discounts was cited as the most important factor leading to a purchase (35% in the UK, 31% in Germany and 27% in France). While coupons accessible from phones also proved to be highly popular (34% in the UK, 29% in Germany and 24% in France.
The MMA polled 1,000 consumers from each country mentioned. (telecoms.com, October 2010)
Smartphone adoption in the EU5 (UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy) has grown 41% in the past year to 60.8 million subscribers, according to comScore. Currently, more than one out of every two smartphones is a Nokia manufactured device, although Nokia accounted for more than two out of every three smartphones a year ago.
Nokia is still the clear leader in the European smartphone market and as the eagerly anticipated N8 launches, all eyes are on Nokia, according to comScore European VP Mobile, Jeremy Copp.
Below is comScore's July 2010 benchmark data, including a review of mobile consumption behaviours and device penetration for five EU countries.
Mobile benchmark data for the European market, 3 Month Average Ending July 2010 (Total EU5: UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy), Age 13+:
- Sent text message to another phone: 82.5% (EU5) / 90.6% (UK) / 80.7% (France) / 80.7% (Germany) / 78.6% (Italy) / 81.4% (Spain)
- Used application (including games): 35.7% / 41.8% / 25.9% / 35.3% / 38.6% / 37.1%
- Used browser: 26.2% / 37.4% / 25.1% / 21.1% / 23.7% / 23.6%
- Listened to music on mobile phone: 24.6% / 23.6% / 21.1% / 26.8% / 22.2% / 30.5%
- Accessed Social Networking Site or Blog: 15.3% / 24.6% / 14.0% / 9.3% / 15.0% / 13.6%
- Accessed news and information: 29.9% / 37.1% / 27.9% / 24.1% / 32.6% / 27.8%
- Smartphone (Platform): 26.4% / 28.5% / 19.3% / 20.3% / 34.1% / 31.9%
- 3G Subscribers (Device Generation): 45.3% / 44.6% / 40.8% / 41.8% / 46.6% / 56.0%
(comScore, September 2010)
Despite the hype around mobile apps, only a minority of consumers download them on a monthly basis. Research released this week based on a survey of more than 25,000 European adults shows that only 4% of all mobile users and 15% of smartphone users download apps at least once per month.
According to Forrester, the researcher which carried out the survey, the fact that 21% of all European mobile users consider apps to be an important feature when choosing a new mobile handset highlights a large gap between the limited actual usage of apps and consumer awareness.
This limited usage is primarily due to the combination of two factors: identified as the small number of exhaustive offerings available, and the fact that only recently shipped smartphones come with native application stores embedded.
The exception to this rule, unsurprisingly, is Apple, with 64% of European iPhone users downloading apps on a monthly basis. But while the numbers look impressive - more than five billion downloads and $1bn paid to developers in the two years since the launch of the Apple App Store - Forrester expects that the limited number of paid apps means it is likely that a significant number of independent developers have not recouped their investments.
The recent launch of Apple's iAd platform is a way for Apple to maintain attractiveness, allowing third parties that provide free apps to develop sustainable business models. But he also notes that in the longer run - with around 80 would-be application stores available worldwide as of June 2010 - few players will be able to address the key factors that will make them a success.
In this respect, Husson argued that the market opportunity for app stores is somewhat
Successful market players will be those capable of creating a viable business model for third parties and developers; providing third parties with marketing and merchandizing tools; and those offering a wide choice of payment and pricing options along the lines of in-application billing, operator billing, and subscription models. (Telecoms.com, July 2010)
Smartphone adoption in the EU5 (UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy) has grown 32% versus a year ago to 51.6 million subscribers, according to a study by comScore of the smartphone market in Europe.
The UK market strongly leads in growth of smartphone adoption over the past year, growing 70% to more than 11 million subscribers. France ranks second in growth with the number of smartphone subscribers up 48% to 7 million. Meanwhile, Italy boasts the largest number of smartphone subscribers overall (15 million) but showed the softest growth in this market at 11%.
Smartphone subscribers - 3 month average ending January 2010 (total EU5), Age 13+:
EU5: 51,623,000 (+32% compared to January 2009)
- UK: 11,109,000 (+70%)
- France: 7,140,000 (+48%)
- Germany: 8,429,000 (+34%)
- Spain: 9,907,000 (+27%)
- Italy: 15,037,000 (+11%)
comScore's January 2010 benchmark data includes a review of mobile consumption behaviours and device penetration for five EU countries.
Mobile benchmark data for the European market - 3 month average ending January 2010 (Total EU5):
- Sent a SMS/text: 83.5% of mobile subscribers in EU5 / 90.3% (UK) / 81.6% (Germany) / 81.7% (France) / 84.5% (Spain) / 79.5% (Italy)
- Used application (including games): 33.4% / 37.6% / 33.3% / 23.6% / 36.1% / 37.0%
- Listened to music: 22.7% / 21.4% / 24.6% / 19.9% / 28.7% / 20.4%
- Mobile browsing: 22.2% / 30.8% / 17.4% / 21.7% / 19.9% / 20.7%
- Accessed social networking site or blog: 11.3% / 18.2% / 6.5% / 10.2% / 9.5% / 11.7%
- Accessed news: 9.6% / 13.7% / 7.5% / 9.0% / 6.7% / 10.4%
- 3G Device: 42.4% / 41.7% / 38.3% / 36.7% / 53.3% / 45.2%
- Smartphone: 22.6% / 22.9% / 16.5% / 15.2% / 28.3% / 32.0%
(comScore, March 2010)
iPad and other tablets
Germany will boast nearly 13.4 million tablet users in 2013, eMarketer forecasts, to match the UK, which registered the largest user base in the EU-5 until this year. (Ownership figures are likely lower because tablets are often shared among several consumers.)
Together, the UK and Germany will account for nearly half of all tablet users in the EU-5 through 2016.
Tablet users in the EU-5, by country, 2010-2016:
- 2010: 7.3 million
- 2011: 17.1 million
- 2012: 39.1 million
- 2013: 56.7 million
- 2014: 72.7 million
- 2015: 87.0 million
- 2016: 97.8 million
(eMarketer, March 2013)
The tablet market got a slightly later start in Europe compared to the US, but as new models and discounted older models have become available, tablet uptake has risen substantially, with much of that growth happening in Germany and the UK. Germany, Europe's largest economy, and the UK, the country in Western Europe with the highest smartphone penetration, lead the EU-5 in tablet adoption, with nearly 10 million tablet users each expected at the end of 2012, according to eMarketer estimates.
Together, the UK and Germany will account for nearly half of all tablet users in the EU-5 through 2016.
Tablet user share in the EU-5, by country, 2010 and 2016:
- UK: 24.0% in 2010 / 23.7% by 2016
- Germany: 21.7% in 2010 / 24.4% by 2016
- France: 15.9% in 2010 / 19.3% by 2016
- Italy: 19.6% in 2010 / 16.9% by 2016
- Spain: 18.8% in 2010 / 15.8% by 2016
For both 2011 and 2012, the number of tablet users in the EU-5 grew at an average rate of approximately 130% annually. Both Germany and the UK exceeded those growth rates in each year, with Germany posting the highest growth at 144% in 2011 and 149% in 2012.
Although growth with taper in 2013, and France, Italy and Spain will each pass Germany and the UK's pace of uptake, the two countries will still maintain their position as tops in terms of their tablet user base, though their positions will flip, with Germany just barely surpassing the UK in 2015. By 2016, the UK will be home to 23.2 million tablet users and Germany will be home to 23.8 million.
The UK will have a higher penetration rate of tablet users among its total population than any other country in the EU-5 throughout the forecast period. By 2015, one in three people in the UK will use a tablet.
Germany will maintain third position, just below Spain, in terms of penetration among its population. However, Spain has the smallest population in the EU-5, which helps boost its position. One in three people in Germany will use a tablet in 2016.
Tablet user penetration in the EU-5, by country 2010 and 2016 (% of population):
EU-5: 2.3% in 2010 / 30.3% by 2016
- UK: 2.8% in 2010 / 36.0% by 2016
- Spain: 3.0% in 2010 / 31.7% by 2016
- Germany: 2.0% in 2010 / 29.5% by 2016
- France: 1.8% in 2010 / 28.3% by 2016
- Italy: 2.4% in 2010 / 26.7% by 2016
Compared to Italy and Spain, where tablets are more likely to be used outside the home, eMarketer believes tablet usage is more akin to PC usage in the UK and Germany, where the devices are often used at home. Similarly, while online video viewing via tablets is not as common in Europe compared to the US, due to less available content, users in Germany and the UK are still more likely to watch online videos on their devices than those in Spain, Italy and France. (eMarketer, November 2012)
The two countries in the EU-5 hit hardest by the financial turmoil in the region are understandably posting the slowest uptake of tablet devices, a high-priced item. Although tablet growth in each country was above 100% in 2011, according to eMarketer estimates, and users will double again in 2012, that's meager compared to their neighbours in Western Europe.
In 2011, France grew its tablet user base by 173%. In 2012, Germany's base will grow 149%, after growing 144% last year. Although the UK will not post the highest growth in either year, it will still outpace Italy and Spain, despite already having the highest raw number of users and the highest tablet penetration.
Tablet user growth in the EU-5, 2011-2016 (% change):
- 2011: 132.6%
- 2012: 128.9%
- 2013: 45.1%
- 2014: 28.1%
- 2015: 19.6%
- 2016: 12.5%
Tablet user growth in the EU-5, by country, 2011 and 2012 (% change):
- Germany: 144.7% in 2011 / 149.1% in 2012
- UK: 132.1% in 2011 / 140.0% in 2012
- France: 178.4% in 2011 / 129.4% in 2012
- Italy: 109.4% in 2011 / 108.5% in 2012
- Spain: 108.8% in 2011 / 106.4% in 2012
Still, the emergence of lower-priced tablets on the market will boost tablet uptake somewhat in the depressed southern European countries. In 2013, Italy and Spain will see tablet users grow by 56% each, the fastest growth among the EU-5. Italy will rise from 6.3 million users in 2012 to 9.8 million in 2013, and Spain will similarly jump from 6 million users this year to 9.3 million next year.
That will be enough to grow their share of the market just 2 percentage points in 2013, to account for 33.7% of total users in the EU-5, but still down from Italy and Spain's 2010 share of 38.4%.
Tablet user share in the EU-5, by country, 2010 and 2016 (% of total):
- UK: 24.0% in 2010 to 23.7% by 2016
- Germany: 21.7% in 2010 to 24.4% by 2016
- France: 15.9% in 2010 to 19.3% by 2016
- Italy: 19.6% in 2010 to 19.3% by 2016
- Spain: 18.8% in 2010 to 15.8% by 2016
Surprisingly, there is one tablet user metric by which the countries are actually among the front-runners in the EU-5. Italy and Spain will post the second- and third-highest tablet user penetration, respectively, in terms of internet users this year. In 2013, they will be No. 1 and No. 2, a mantle they will maintain throughout the forecast period. This is not a straightforward metric, however. Tablets tend to be shared among users in households. While a specific user may "own" the device, it is likely that two to three other people in the household use it.
eMarketer believes that sharing is less common in countries with higher income levels such as Germany and the UK. So while user penetration levels suggest Italy and Spain lead in tablet usage among internet users, ownership numbers are likely higher in the UK and Germany. In addition, particularly low internet penetration in Italy and mid-level penetration in Spain help drive up tablet penetration among internet users. In terms of the population as a whole, tablet penetration in Spain will rank second this year, while Italy will rank last. (eMarketer, November 2012)
Apple's iOS platform (which resides on iPhones, iPads and iPod Touches) has a combined platform reach of 28.9 million users in the five European markets making up the EU5, according to the results of an EU5 (UK, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy) study of media tablet owners by comScore.
With 16.1 million users across these five markets, the installed base of iPhones by far exceeded that of iPod Touches and iPads. The combined 28.9 million iOS users is 116% greater than the 13.4 million combined Android OS installed base, which includes users of both phones and connected media devices running on Google's operating system, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab.
The research also suggests that iPad ownership extends well beyond Apple's most loyal consumers. Although a perception may exist that iPad owners tend to be those with a very strong affinity for Apple products, an analysis of the mobile devices of iPad owners indicates that may not be the case. Though iPhone users are well represented among iPad owners in Europe, a substantial percentage of this group uses other phones as their primary mobile devices.
Across the five European markets analyzed more than 62% of iPad owners were male, skewing well above the average gender spilt for mobile owners. The age profile of European iPad users indicated the heaviest skew toward 25-34 year olds (23.4%) in relation to the total mobile audience (17.3%). iPads also exhibited an above average skew in the 18-24 year old age segment. However, this demographic profile was similar to that of the smartphone user base, indicating that the advanced mobile capabilities rather than the device itself might be primary driver behind this age profile.
Age demographic profile for mobile, smartphone and iPad owners, 3 months average ending February 2011 (TOTAL EU5 Mobile subscribers, Age 13+):
GENDER:
- Male: 49.5% for total mobile / 58.8% for smartphone / 62.4% for iPad
- Female: 50.5% / 41.2% / 37.6%
AGE
- 13-17: 6.8% for total mobile / 6.7% for smartphone / 8.2% for iPad
- 18-24: 10.7% / 14.8% / 16.2%
- 25-34: 17.3% / 23.4% / 23.4%
- 35-44: 18.9% / 21.8% / 21.6%
- 45-54: 17.8% / 15.2% / 13.2%
- 55+: 28.5% / 18.1% / 17.4%
(comScore, April 2011)
Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 April 2013 09:25
