Facebook dominates mobile internet use, survey finds
Facebook has become one of the top three providers for messaging on mobile phones, a survey by CCS Insights has found.
The Mobile Internet Usage Report claims that Facebook is one of the three main providers of messaging through email, and is also set to ‘transcend’ offers from rivals such as Apple, Google and Microsoft, showing strong growth across all markets.
The survey reported a ‘dramatic change’ in how consumers used their mobile phones, highlighting that some of the most popular mobile services were Facebook’s Messages, Chat and Photo features.
It also found that 25-34 year old market to be the most attracted to using their phones, playing music, games and browsing online.
In Spain, the survey found that Facebook had twice the number of mobile users as Tuenti, while in Germany is was three times as popular on mobile in comparison with local sites.
The strongest local player in Western Europe was Hyves in the Netherlands, but CCS prediected that too would come ‘under pressure’.
"Facebook is fast becoming the default destination for all things mobile" commented Paolo Pescatore, director of applications and content for CCS Insight.
Nearly half of smartphone users in Europe (45%) listened to music, played games or browsed online through their phones, while email and social networking were also popular pastimes.
"The mobile phone is now one of the most prolific consumer electronics devices on the planet. The exponential growth in service usage cannot be ignored and is reshaping the mobile market" added Pescatore.
"The role of the operators continues to diminish, but there are opportunities for the mobile industry. People want to access a range of Web-based services on multiple devices and we expect mobile to play an even greater role in 12 months' time."
CCS Insight also highlights the over-35’s marketplace as an area that should not be underestimated, with higher levels of engagement being seen than before.
"For years the industry has been obsessed with 16 to 24 year olds but rapid adoption of smartphones by an older audience means it is time to focus an older demographic for mobile services" concludes Pescatore.