80 per cent people own smartphones globally: Report

80 per cent people own smartphones globally: Report

Nearly 80 per cent of people worldwide now own a smartphone while almost 50 per cent have a tablet, a report from market research firm GlobalWebIndex says.
Almost all smartphone owners are using their devices to access the internet, with 75 per cent saying they have gone online via a mobile in the last month - a rise from 49 per cent in 2011, the findings showed.
On an average, internet users now say they spend 1.85 hours online via a mobile each day, up from 1.24 hours in 2012.
"There is a slightly bigger gap between ownership and online access for tablets, though with just 37 per cent going online via these devices. Nevertheless, they have seen the fastest rise of all since 2011 - having grown from eight per cent," the report read.
For both devices, the figures peak among youngsters aged between 25-34.
Wearable devices are still highly niche.
Only nine percent people say they own a smartwatch while seven per cent report having a smart wristband.
Gaming apps are the most popular in terms of engagement - but are the only app category where there are more people downloading (43 per cent) rather than using them (41 per cent) each month, the report said.