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M:Metrics: Will smarter phones drive mobile content consumption?

—July 10, 2006—M:Metrics, the mobile market authority, today issued the findings of its May Benchmark Survey. The firm found that while smart-phone owners comprise a small percentage of the overall population of mobile phone users, large percentages of smart-phone users are consuming mobile content.  Contrary to popular belief, those carrying these powerful devices are not using them exclusively for productivity applications, but are also using them to view mobile video, play mobile games and listen to mobile music in addition to using them for personal e-mail and wireless Web access.

 

Table 1: Smart-phone penetration and consumption

Country	Smart-phone penetration	Played downloaded game	Watched mobile video	Used E-Mail	Listened to mobile music	Sent photo or video over network	Accessed news and information
France	3.4%	12.0%	15.1%	20.3%	18.7%	45.7%	39.1%
Germany	5.8%	15.5%	7.7%	18.9%	19.9%	33.7%	22.3%
United Kingdom	6.6%	23.0%	9.1%	20.9%	24.8%	47.3%	39.7%
United States	2.0%	22.3%	8.8%	50.8%	16.1%	22.8%	54.6%
Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2006. Survey of mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 31 May, 2006, n= 12,631 French, n=15,122 German, n=14,913 UK, n=33,952 U.S. mobile subscribers.

 

Compared to the average mobile phone subscribers, smart-phone owners are avid users of mobile multimedia. In France and Germany, nearly half of smart-phone owners sent video or a photo over the network, compared with a market average of (18.6) percent in France, and (19.5) percent in Germany. Nearly a quarter of UK smart-phone owners reported listening to music on their handset, versus the average of 5.8 percent.

 

The parallels are similar across the geographies. French smart-phone owners are a staggering 11 times more likely to listen to music on their handset compared with the market average of 1.7 percent, while their American counterparts are more than eight times more likely to do so. Video has been particularly popular among French smart-phone owners, at 15.1 percent, versus a countrywide average of 1.8 percent. There is also a relatively high conversion rate to video among U.S. smart-phone owners, who are more than six times more likely to watch video than a random subscriber, as the U.S. average for video consumption is 1.3 percent.

 

 

“Whereas mass-market Symbian devices have flooded the European market, the smart-phones in the hands of most U.S. consumers are high-end devices produced by Palm and RIM that are targeted  to appeal to mobile professionals concerned with personal productivity,” said Seamus McAteer, senior analyst and chief product architect, M:Metrics. “The Motorola Q, which is being marketed heavily as a stylish device that’s fun as well as productive, and is being offered at consumer-friendly price points, could help broaden the market for smart-phones and spur content consumption.”

 

At two percent penetration, the U.S. lags Western Europe in Smart-phone ownership. Britain tops France and Germany, at 6.6 percent market adoption. All the top three devices in France, Germany and the United Kingdom are Nokia devices. The Palm Treo is the smart device of choice for Americans, followed by the BlackBerry.

 

Table 2: Most Popular Smart-phones Used as Primary Handset
Top 3 Smart-phones - France	Subscribers
Nokia 6680	374,477
Nokia 6630	287,723
Nokia 6600	98,122
Top 3 Smart-phones - Germany	Subscribers
Nokia 6630	278,818
Nokia 6600	250,682
Nokia 7650	237,449
Top 3 Smart-phones – UK	Subscribers
Nokia N70	471,874
Nokia 6680	433,405
Nokia 6630	341,718
Top 3 Smart-phones – US	Subscribers
Palm Treo 650CDMA	573,660
Palm Treo 650GSM	269,053
RIM BlackBerry 7520	267,912
Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2006. Survey of mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 31 May, 2006, n= 12,631 French, n=15,122 German, n=14,913 UK, n=33,952 U.S. mobile subscribers.

 

 “Without a doubt, Symbian devices compel their owners to use mobile content. Varying by networks in the UK, 45 to 70 percent of N-70 users report that they used their phone to download or browse for content,” said Paul Goode, vice president and senior analyst, M:Metrics. “We’re seeing impressive conversion rates across all forms of mobile content among users of these handsets, and see a direct correlation between device attributes (screen size, screen resolution and network speed) and propensity to consume content.”

 

M:Metrics applies trusted media measurement methodologies to assess the audience for mobile content and applications. As the world’s most authoritative mobile market measurement firm, M:Metrics delivers the most accurate mobile market metrics through the largest monthly survey of mobile subscribers in the U.S., U.K., Germany and France, as well as automated data collection methodologies. Below are the findings of its June Benchmark Survey.

 

French Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: May 2006
Activity	Subscribers (000s)	Percent	% Change
Sent Text Message	29,355	69.1%	0.7%
Used Photo Messaging	7,919	18.6%	8.1%
Browsed News and Information	3,319	7.8%	7.6%
Purchased Ringtone	2,748	6.5%	(-3.4%)
Used Personal E-Mail	2,548	6.0%	11.6%
Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver	1,313	3.1%	(-0.6%)
Used Mobile Instant Messenger	1,241	2.9%	7.9%
Used Work E-Mail	857	2.0%	9.7%
Downloaded Mobile Game	500	1.2%	13.9%
Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2006. Survey of French mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 31 May, 2006, n= 12,631

 

German Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: May 2006
Activity	Subscribers (000s)	Percent	% Change
Sent Text Message	35,606	80.0%	2.6%
Used Photo Messaging	8,696	19.5%	4.0%
Purchased Ringtone	3,007	6.8%	(-0.2%)
Used Personal E-Mail	2,716	6.1%	0.4%
Browsed News and Information	1,763	4.0%	(-3.5%)
Used Mobile Instant Messenger	1,547	3.5%	(-0.9%)
Used Work E-Mail	1,399	3.1%	3.8%
Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver	1,289	2.9%	0.2%
Downloaded Mobile Game	1,079	2.4%	1.6%
Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2006. Survey of German mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 31 May, 2006, n= 15,122

 

 

U.K. Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: May 2006
Activity	Subscribers (000s)	Percent	% Change
Sent Text Message	36,359	84.6%	(-0.1%)
Used Photo Messaging	12,879	30.0%	1.6%
Browsed News and Information	6,376	14.8%	(-1.1%)
Used Personal E-Mail	2,892	6.7%	0.0%
Purchased Ringtone	2,562	6.0%	(-6.6%)
Downloaded Mobile Game	1,953	4.5%	(-4.9%)
Used Mobile Instant Messenger	1,754	4.1%	1.4%
Used Work E-Mail	1,337	3.1%	3.9%
Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver	994	2.3%	(-2.4%)
Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2006. Survey of U.K. mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 31 May, 2006, n= 14,913

 

U.S. Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: May 2006
Activity	Subscribers (000s)	Percent	% Change
Sent Text Message	69,048	36.3%	5.9%
Used Photo Messaging	22,644	11.9%	8.0%
Browsed News and Information	19,038	10.0%	5.4%
Purchased Ringtone	18,830	9.9%	4.0%
Used Personal E-Mail	13,823	7.3%	7.2%
Used Mobile Instant Messenger	12,221	6.4%	4.6%
Used Work E-Mail	7,984	4.2%	8.4%
Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver	6,609	3.5%	(-1.8%)
Downloaded Mobile Game	4,840	2.5%	8.5%
Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2006. Survey of U.S. mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 31 May, 2006, n= 33,952

 

About M:Metrics

M:Metrics is the mobile market measurement authority. As the only research firm to measure the audience for mobile media, M:Metrics provides the most accurate metrics on actual mobile content consumption by applying trusted media measurement methodologies to the mobile market. M:Metrics’ monthly syndicated data service gives clients the critical insights and intelligence required to inform smart business strategies and the competitive benchmarks needed to evaluate the performance of competitors and partners. M:Metrics is a private, venture-funded corporation headquartered in Seattle, with offices in San Francisco and London.

 

 

About M:Metrics Data

Based on continually refreshed samples of nationally representative mobile phone consumers, M:Metrics reports summarise market size, device reach, and key demographic and mobile phone usage characteristics.

 

The data presented here is drawn from an extensive survey questionnaire that collects specific device model and carrier subscription information from each month’s sample of mobile phone subscribers, and also drills down into specific details related to current and past usage of various mobile phone applications and content. Data collected from each sample are statistically balanced and projected to the total national population of mobile phone subscribers.

 

Authorized Uses

Members of the press may cite research data or a portion of text provided that each is sourced to M:Metrics, for example, "Source: M:Metrics, Inc." or “According to M:Metrics, . . .”. Copies of graphs, data tables or slides must include the following copyright notice affixed to all material: "Copyright © 2006, M:Metrics, Inc.”