Smartphones have finally become more popular than laptops as a way of accessing the Internet in the UK, with the likes of the iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 overtaking PCs for the first time ever.
According to figures from Ofcom’s Communications Market report (via Ars Technica), over 60% of people in the UK now own a smartphone, with the amount of time spent online using these smartphones averages two hours every day. The number of individuals in the 16-24 age bracket who own smartphones is also up at 90%, while 50% of those in the 55-64 age bracket now own a smartphone, too.
These are massive numbers and highlight how swiftly the smartphone market has risen, with PCs being overtaken sooner than had been anticipated in previous years. According to Ofcom, the users surveyed also stated that they viewed their smartphone as their device of choice when it came to accessing the Internet, with the corporation noting that the rise of faster 4G mobile networks greatly contributed to them currying favour with consumers.
On the other hand, the decline of the laptop and desktop in the UK over the past two years will be troubling news for computer manufacturers. While in 2013 the laptop proved dominant with 46% of users deeming it the most important device for going online, this figure has dropped to just 30% in 2015. Likewise, the desktop computer has gone from 28% favouring it as their Internet access point to just 14%, below the laptop, smartphone and tablet.
Of course, there are a variety of other ways in which the laptop and desktop would best smartphones outside of accessing the Internet, though in an always-online world it’s certainly a major facet of what makes these devices so popular. It was an inevitably that smartphones would soon lead the market when it came to offering Internet access, but that they’ve managed to achieve this feat so quickly is impressive, and a sign of how the technological landscape continues to transform with almost frightening rapidity.
