Almost Half of Mobile Users Still Only Talking and Texting, Finds New GSMA Mobile Engagement Study

GSMA Intelligence Launches Annual Study To Measure Global Mobile
Engagement

LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Almost half of mobile phone users worldwide still only use their devices
to make voice calls and send SMS, according to new consumer research by
GSMA Intelligence. The new Global Mobile Engagement Index (GMEI)
measures the level of engagement of mobile phone users across a wide
array of use cases and services. This first-of-its-kind consumer index
is based on inputs from the 2016 GSMA Intelligence consumer survey,
which surveyed mobile users across 56 global markets representing 80 per
cent of the world’s population. The first GMEI study is published today
and will be updated on an annual basis.

The GMEI classifies mobile user engagement into four tiers:
‘Aficionados’ (the most engaged), ‘Pragmatists’, ‘Networkers’ and
‘Talkers’ (the least engaged). The research reveals that ‘Talkers’ –
those who only use their mobile phones to make voice calls and send SMS
– accounted for 47 per cent of adult mobile phone owners in 2016.
However, this segment is forecast to shrink to 29 per cent of the total
by 2030 as users across the developing world become more engaged due to
advances in mobile innovation, affordability and availability.

Consumers can take part in an online survey here
to discover which consumer segment they belong to and how they compare
with those across the world that took part in the research.

“In an era of mobile being near ubiquitous around the world and at the
centre of people’s lifestyles, there is a growing need to measure mobile
user engagement levels to identify future industry growth
opportunities,” said Hyunmi Yang, GSMA Chief Strategy Officer. “Consumer
behaviours are continuing to change as mobile devices get smarter,
services grow richer and societies become more connected. The Global
Mobile Engagement Index is a unique industry tool to help understand
these shifting trends.”

The GMEI report published today offers a number of insights based on the
latest research:

• South Korea, Qatar and the US were the three highest-scoring markets
  in terms of mobile engagement
• Traditional SMS is still used more frequently than IP messaging in
  several mature markets, including France and the US
• ‘Millennials’ are not necessarily more engaged mobile users than older
  generations; in markets such as South Korea, more than a quarter of
  smartphone users are ‘baby boomers’ (aged 51-69)
• There are some markets, such as Myanmar, where smartphone ownership is
  relatively high but user engagement is low, due to digital illiteracy
  and a lack of locally relevant content
• There are several African countries with high mobile user engagement
  in financial services; for instance, in Kenya and Tanzania, around
  four in every five adult mobile phone owners use their phones for
  mobile money services
• More than 70 per cent of smartphone users globally watch free online
  videos on their phone (e.g. YouTube), and one in two smartphone users
  watch or replay live TV programmes on their device
• More than 70 per cent of smartphone consumers use their device to
  research information about products and services, but only one in two
  use it to order and purchase goods
• There exists a gender gap in mobile internet usage in several markets.
  In India, for example, female mobile phone owners are 43 per cent less
  likely to use mobile internet services than males

The GMEI calculates an engagement score for each of the 56 global
markets covered in the consumer survey. The top ten countries based on
this score are:

The GSMA Intelligence Global Mobile Engagement Index report can be
downloaded at: https://www.gsmaintelligence.com/research/2017/02/gmei-2017/602/

-ENDS-

About the GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting
nearly 800 operators with almost 300 companies in the broader mobile
ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies,
equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in
adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces industry-leading
events such as Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress Shanghai,
Mobile World Congress Americas and the Mobile 360 Series of conferences.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com.
Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.

¹ The GMEI score is based on responses to the 2016 GSMA
Intelligence global consumer survey. A country score of zero would mean
that consumers never use their mobile phones for any of the 29 mobile
use cases covered in the survey. A country score of 10 would mean that
consumers engage in each of the 29 mobile use cases every day.

Contacts

For the GSMA
Sophie Waterfield
+44 77 7945 9923
Sophie.Waterfield@webershandwick.com
or
GSMA
Press Office
pressoffice@gsma.com