Consumer behaviour is evolving as a direct result of the launch of 4G mobile services, driven by faster download speeds and greater bandwidth, according to the results of the Orange Exposure 2013/2014 report.

This is an annual study by TNS into media habits across UK, France and Spain. The 2013 study takes an early look at the impact of 4G networks on consumer behaviour.

Not only are 4G users consuming more content – 30 percent of them in the UK regularly use their mobile to download video games, compared with 17 percent of 3G users - they are also using more of the phone’s functionality (downloading video, and using geolocation for example) – in France this is 25 percent more than non-4G users.  

4G users also demonstrate a growing acceptance of m-commerce, with 53 percent using their mobile to pay for something in the last six months compared with 34 percent of 3G mobile multimedia users.

The study also shows that mobile usage drives further research on other devices. For example, 18 percent in the UK said they used their mobile initially to check for information before conducting deeper research on another device.

It also showed a growing trend in ‘showrooming’ – whereby consumers use their mobile to compare prices and read comparative reviews of products. This trend was evident in all three markets.

The study also showed the continued dominance of Android over iOS for the second year running, with almost half of all mobile devices Android across all three markets.

Android also increased its share of the tablet market, driven in part by Samsung`s continued success. For example, 19 percent of tablets in the UK are Samsung in 2013, up from 6 percent in 2012.

In France, Samsung controls almost one third of the tablet market, up from 13 percent in 2012. The study shows that consumers are increasingly using apps to access the internet, rather than traditional browsers.

BDST: 1639 HRS, DEC 02, 2013