Two Quebecers on three now have a cell phone but, although this proportion seems to be capped, the nature of the product continues to evolve.
According to data from the survey made public Tuesday NETendances, the proportion of Quebec adults holders of cell phones remains relatively stable at 66% for three years.
What is progressing, however is the proportion of smart phones, which increased by 15% from 2010, compared to basic cellphones, whose usage has dropped by 23% during the same period.
The survey tells us also that on the Web, Quebecers with a mobile device communicate and socialize regularly. Just over two-thirds communicate by e-mail, nearly two out of three are connecting to one or multiple social networks and three out of five use the chat rooms, instant messaging or text messaging.
Almost half of Quebec adults having such a device also play in cyberspace, watching videos, and webteles and listening to Internet radio, while 46% play games online. Two in five have access to their bank accounts to do audits, or see their statements, but only one-third is banking on a mobile device.
The usage profile also varies depending on the device. Thus, smart phone is more used for rapid communications while the use of digital tablets is closer than the home computer for emails and transactional activities.
Unsurprisingly, the use of mobile devices is linked to age, but the income of individuals also. For example, adults whose family income is greater than $100,000 are four times more likely to have a smart phone or a portable music player than those who have income less than $20,000. For the digital tablet, this difference is seven and a half times.
The NETendances survey is conducted continuously by CEFRIO, an organization devoted to the research and development of information technologies.
Image courtesy of elleinad.