Home » News » Smartphones on verge of UK tipping point, claims new survey

Monday 23rd January 2012

The increasing affordability of smartphones could see them account for more than half of all devices on the UK high
street, new research has claimed.The latest report into the US mobile sector by analytics company Nielsen showed
the iPhone 4S had an 'enormous' impact on the proportion of US smartphone owners buying Apple devices.
Among those who bought a device during the past three months, 45% of those surveyed in December said they chose an
iPhone, compared to 25% in October.

Nielsen European telecoms MD David Gosen said: 'These US numbers closely mirror what we’ve been seeing in the UK.
Our Q3 2011 smartphone report suggests 45% of UK mobile consumers had a smartphone, compared to 46% in Q4 in the US.
'We expect UK smartphone growth to continue. Mobile operators, device manufacturers and content providers are
really focusing on the benefits of smartphones, while the cost of basic smartphones is becoming more affordable
to consumers, tempting them to upgrade from feature phones.'

In the US, Android remains the most popular operating system with 46% of all smartphone owners surveyed owning
such a device. Nielsen said smartphone ownership was growing 'quickly' in the US with 60% of those who bought a
new device during the three months to December choosing a smartphone over a feature phone.