Because of our 24-hour smartphones, we sleep less and fight more.
Deloitte presents the Global Mobile Consumers Survey 2016, a research involving 31 of the world's leading countries and outlines the trends relating to the habits and behavior of users connected via Smartphones and Tablets.
The smartphone of discord
From the data of the survey it emerges that, at least once a month, almost one Italian out of three is filmed by his partner (27%) and even by his own children (27%) because he is always attached to his smartphone and this holds Italy's record for European country where people argue most often because of the mobile phone. Close behind are Poland and France, with 21% and 16% respectively as regards discussions between couples; Holland is the country where there is less anger in Europe, with disagreements between partners that are limited to 13%. Italians find smartphones a source of distraction from real life: almost a quarter of those interviewed (21%) use their mobile phones every day to follow VIPs and show business stars, giving Italy first place in Europe for "gossip from smartphones”, in sharp contrast with the Netherlands, where only 7% of those interviewed follow famous people on social networks.
Italians then enjoy using the mobile phone for virtual reality games, such as Pokèmon Go (13%), to look for a soul mate (3%) and try their luck with online bets (2%).
In addition to putting the finger between husband and wife, the mobile phone also creates havoc between private life and working life: with the use of company phones, availability becomes 24/83, forcing you to sacrifice free time and hours of sleep to answer emails, often even during the night (57%). 59% of career people check their phone immediately in the morning, as soon as they wake up, 200% exceed 80 times during the day, XNUMX% fall asleep with the phone in hand.
The dilemma: traditional sites vs Apps
The research shows how Italians rely on traditional websites for the most common activities, such as reading the news (67%) or booking travel (61%); for the more innovative ones, playing games (80%), checking social networks (72%) or looking for a soul mate (63%), they choose to use apps. Total indifference between the two options is found in a single sector: that of online shopping (50 and 50).
The model and brand of smartphone are factors that influence this choice: iPhone owners use an average of 12% more apps than those with a Samsung mobile phone. Another reason that pushes Italians to rely on websites is that 57% believe apps are useless, while 20% prefer to keep the memory on their phone for photos and videos.
On the other hand, instant messaging apps have undergone a significant increase: compared to 2015, the number of respondents who claim to use them has grown by 60%, while the number of those who access their social profile through apps has risen by 45%. The ranking sees WhatsApp in the lead with 56% of respondents using it constantly, followed by Facebook with 39% and Instagram with 11%.
Money Back Guarantee? In terms of smartphones only satisfied
The survey reveals how, both in Italy and in Europe, consumers are extremely satisfied with their smartphone; 69% of Italians, in fact, pass it with full marks. Minor approval ratings, but not significantly so in the rest of Europe, where on a scale of 1 to 10, mobile phones are rated 8, 9 or 10 by 68% of Germans, 65% of the British and 59% of the French. Italy is the country in the world where the most mobile phones are given to loved ones. As for the manufacturers, 83% of Apple customers recommend the purchase of the iPhone to friends and relatives. However, Samsung remains in first place on the smartphone market in Italy with 43% of customers followed by Apple (15%) and Nokia (12%).
Italians first in mobile connection and not with Wi-Fi
Driven by the low availability of public and private Wi-Fi networks to which they can connect for free, 52% of the Italians interviewed prefer 3G and 4G mobile networks to Wi-Fi (48%) giving the country another European record. There are three main reasons for this choice: the better performance of 3G/4G, the need to share videos in real time and the ever-increasing diffusion of wearables (16% of those interviewed, in fact, already own one, overtaking the Germans and English, both of whom account for 13%).
Telco operators: stand out in order not to go extinct
Fast and reliable Internet connection everywhere, capillary coverage of the voice network over the entire national territory and unlimited calls to everyone: basic services which a few years ago were considered an added value, are now demanded by Italian customers, who are also looking for advantageous offers from operators bargain prices. In an increasingly competitive market, where major mergers risk destabilizing the balance, operators must find an answer in innovation, to emerge and to raise the level of customer satisfaction: Vodafone, first in the Italian ranking, does not exceed 32% of satisfied customers, followed by Wind with 30%, TIM with 26% and 3 with 24%.
“The smartphone is a tool that is now used constantly and extensively, in the workplace and in recreation – comments Alberto Donato, Partner Deloitte and TMT Industry Leader -; it is important that operators learn to exploit data from mobile navigation to create distinctive services and experiential platforms, useful for facing the competitive challenge and differentiating themselves”.
“The smartphone has definitively transformed itself from a simple telephone tool to a multi-function accessory with a consequent impact on companies, many of which choose to position themselves on the market through their own apps – continues Alberto Donato -. One of the most evident results of this trend is the increasingly widespread access to multimedia contents and the aggregation between Telco operators and Media Companies”.
