The desktop and mobile Internet usage market in India is going through a metamorphosis. With these emerging dynamics it is important to map the usage & behavioral patterns of users in order to utilize the immense potential this growth promises.
Opera Software and On Device Research conducted a device agnostic survey, which was delivered to a sample panel on feature phones, smartphones, PC’s and other Internet access devices. The online survey automatically identifies device and carrier. The sample is representative of mobile Internet browsers and weighted by OEM share and demographics. The survey includes a balanced share of mobile respondents from each operator alongside results on mobile Internet usage patterns. Enclosed some quick glances on interesting findings from the survey conducted in February this year:
Mobile phones are providing a new Internet audience
According to the survey, mobile Internet is the only Internet access method for many, we call these people the ‘Mobile Only Internet generation’. In India 49% of people who are using the mobile Internet either never, or infrequently, use the desktop Internet. India has emerged as the 2nd largest base of mobile only Internet generation after South Africa. As per the study, for 41% Indias, mobile phone is the only possible way to access Internet. Apart from being a cheaper and easier alternative, mobile device is the most convenient access method for using Internet while they are away from the computer.
Mobile Internet users are heavily male dominated
A gender comparison in the study shows that mobile Internet users are heavily male dominated (95.2%) while female comprise only 5% of the total users. Mobile Internet users are also dominated by young people with 94% aged between 13 and 34. The young and male skew is the typical early adopter profile.
Opera users access the mobile Internet more frequently
The survey also shares comparative data on Opera users viz-a-viz non-Opera users. Opera users are 10% more likely, compared to non-Opera users, to browse for more than 1 hour a day.
In many countries social networking has been the catalyst for the mobile Internet boom. Social networking requires fast page loading due to its interactive nature. Taking advantage of Opera’s compression technology, Opera users are 18% more likely to use social networking, compared to non-Opera users. Opera users are also more likely to use other interactive services such as search and email.
The browsing experience on mobile is the key catalyst to attract content purchasing. Opera’s browsing experience allows users to be more comfortable with mobile Internet, resulting in more mobile content purchasing. Also, Opera users are 9% more likely to purchase games and 16% users are more likely to purchase music.
Opera users are more satisfied
A consumer’s Internet browsing satisfaction is correlated between mobile device satisfaction and operator satisfaction. As per the study, consumer satisfaction on mobile devices and operators comes more from Opera users. Most Opera users are loyal to their operators, 9% of Opera users are less likely to stop using their mobile operator compared to those who don’t use Opera.