Consumer Demand for Digital Convergence

Nokia Nseries, Nokia’s high performance multimedia range, commissioned research in 11 countries around the globe to discover people’s views on today’s and tomorrow’s multitalented mobiles. According to the research data, consumers are not only embracing convergence but clamoring for more of it.

Highlights:

• Almost one in two people around the world now use their mobile device as their main camera,
• Over two thirds predict a music-enabled mobile will replace their MP3 player, and
• Nearly half want to connect up their mobile device with their home electronics.

People LOVE their mobile phones

Multifunctional mobile devices have already replaced certain gadgets in people’s lives. Nearly half of respondents (44%) use their mobile device as their primary camera, with India being home to the most prolific mobile photographers (68%). Globally, seventy two percent now don’t use a separate alarm clock and 73% use their mobile as their main watch or clock.

When it comes to surfing the web on the move, over a third (36%) of respondents are browsing on their mobile devices at least once a month. Inevitably, Japan leads the way in mobile internet usage with 37% admitting to going online on their mobile on a daily basis.

With an ever increasing list of features, it’s not surprising that people can’t imagine life without a mobile: 94% of those questioned plan to have a mobile in the future. People in Brazil love mobiles so much that 100% believe they’ll own a mobile device in years to come. In fact, mobiles are so indispensable that over one in five (21%) would be more upset about losing their mobile than their wallet, credit cards and even their wedding ring.

Mobile music

Digital music has completely re-shaped the world’s music buying and listening habits: the study found 67% of people around the world now download a percentage of their music and 87% claim their music in-take has increased since owning a digital music device. Germany clocks up the most listening time: 28% admit to listening to 21 hours or more of music every week. And what is the world listening to? Pop (35%), followed by rock (21%), dance (8%) and classical (7%).

Music-enabled mobiles devices are set to be at the heart of future digital music consumption: 67% predict the mobile phone will replace their MP3 player.

A home run by mobiles

According to Nokia’s research, the world is embracing the concept of the mobile digital home where mobile devices act as household remote controls, beaming digital content like music and photos to compatible domestic devices. Almost half (42%) of respondents globally want their printer, PC, stereo, TV and mobile device interconnected. It’s Saudi Arabia that is set to be the home of the digital home – 72% even want their refrigerator included in this network.

And looking to the future, more than one in two (58%) of those questioned would like to be able to control all their household appliances via their mobile device. This is especially true in India (85%).

Commenting on the findings, Tapio Hedman, senior vice president of marketing, Multimedia, at Nokia, said: “The results strongly demonstrate that people are buying into the idea of convergence – they really do want one device that does it all, from taking quality images, to storing their music collections and operating a digitally connected home. Our goal is to make it easy for people to have all of these experiences with them all the time – in a multimedia computer. ”

Results overviews are available on Music, Multimedia Computers and Digital Home.