Device Arena

According to “Mobile Market View”, a new mobile consumer study conducted by The Kelsey Group with research partner ConStat, 44.7 percent of U.S. mobile phone users surveyed say a mobile phone with better Internet capability will be a key factor in their next mobile phone purchase decision. According to the survey, only 26 percent of mobile phone service subscribers currently opt for an Internet access plan.

“The combination of unlimited data plans and next-generation Internet-enabled mobile devices, like Apple’s iPhone, suggests mobile Web access will grow to become ubiquitous,” said Matt Booth, senior vice president and program director, Interactive Local Media, The Kelsey Group. “Growing mobile Internet usage and increased satisfaction with mobile Internet applications are among the converging factors that we believe point to a breakthrough year ahead for mobile ad adoption.“

The Kelsey Group said last month that it estimates U.S. mobile search advertising revenues to rise from $33.2 million in 2007 to $1.4 billion in 2012, which would be a compound annual growth rate of 112 percent.

According to the study maps and local search are the most used mobile Internet applications. In the past six months, 9 percent of respondents used their mobile phones to perform Internet searches for products and services in their local area. In the same period 10 percent downloaded or looked at maps and 10 percent said they had downloaded search or mapping applications in addition to those that came with their mobile phones.

Among the 500 mobile users surveyed in the Mobile Market View study, maps and local commercial search are preferred Internet applications. In the past six months, 9.8 percent of respondents used their mobile phones to conduct Internet searches for products and services in their local area. During the same period, 10.7 percent downloaded or looked at maps, while 10.9 percent indicated they had downloaded search or mapping applications (for use on the Internet) to supplement those that came with their mobile phones.

The Kelsey group