Yesterday TNS revealed the results of its study called TNS Mobile Life 2012, which were culled through face-to-face interviews with 500 mobile users in Metro Manila.
Not surprisingly, the study shows that the most owned and most likely to be bought device is the mobile phone. Although basic mobile phones and feature phones are still very present in the Philippine market, smartphone penetration in the country, according to the study, is high, at 34% in 2012. It’s interesting to note that the smartphone penetration rate in the Philippines is even higher than the total global penetration rate (30%) and that of fellow emerging markets in Asia (20%). According to the study, purchase appears to be driven by males and younger consumers (ages 16-40).
The study shows that the primary triggers of smartphone purchase and/or usage are access to MMS and Wi-Fi connectivity. Smartphone users also connect to the web in order to check their email and keep themselves updated in their social network. In fact, it has been reported in another TNS study that approximately four hours are spent accessing social networks through mobile phones.
Cost is revealed to be a key consideration, and thus presses the need for telecommunications companies to produce more affordable smartphones and data plans.
Additionally, the findings show that the mobile lifecycle in Metro Manila has decreased from 48% to 37% as compared to last year. This, according to TNS, sets the stage for increased smartphone penetration.