Google announces a report from a 5-year study that covered 625,000 consumer interviews from around the world. During this period, hundreds of millions of new internet users emerged. According to the report, smartphone use on a global scale doubled in just 4 years.

For the past 5 years, the research firm Kantar TNS has been asking consumers around the world about their habits related to navigating the internet. The answers show enormous changes in the way media is used, as well as in everyday life, caused by the rapid spread of the internet in such a short time. In 2012, one in 3 consumers across the 40 markets studied owned a smartphone. In just 4 years, that number rose to 40%. Today in Poland, 61% of consumers use smartphones compared to 15% five years ago, which means an increase of 46 percentage points in the penetration of these devices.

A trusted assistant

Mobile devices have become widespread across all age groups, but they have especially become a trusted assistant for young people. For Polish users under the age of 25, a smartphone is used mainly for:

  • searching for information: 80% of them use search engines on mobile,
  • watching video: 64% watch video at least once a week,
  • the phone screen is the first thing they glance at after waking up: for young users, a smartphone is their favorite device for everyday tasks such as checking the time (70%) or setting an alarm (74%),
  • shopping: 4% make mobile purchases, and 27% look for product information at least once a week.

A country of many devices

The days when a smartphone was treated as a secondary device are gone for good. About one third of smartphone users worldwide said they use the internet more often via a smartphone than a computer or tablet. In Poland, this share is 14%.

People now use more devices simultaneously than ever before. In 2012, we asked Poles whether they use smartphones, tablets or computers. At that time, 61% of the population used one of these devices, 15% used two, and only 2% used all three. Five years later, the share of people using three screens is already 21%. Other devices requiring an internet connection are also gaining popularity: 32% of Poles said they own a TV connected to the network - a smart TV.

What else do Poles use their smartphones for?

  • 60% take photos and record video,
  • 44% listen to music,
  • 39% check the weather,
  • 31% check the news,
  • 29% play games,
  • 26% manage their calendar and appointments
  • 21% use maps (also while traveling), traffic information,
  • 15% make shopping and to-do lists,
  • 10% read books and magazines,
  • 6% track their sports activity and diet.

About the report:

Google Consumer Barometer Report contains conclusions from a global and multi-year research project. Thanks to the tool consumerbarometer.com, you can learn detailed data on how people use the internet and various devices for specific countries, create charts yourself for given markets or demographic groups, and compare Poland with other countries.

The report can be downloaded at:

https://storage.googleapis.com/think-v2-emea/v2/d7130_barometer_report_2016_final%281%29.pdf