Research from the International Data Corporation shows that consumers are moving away from using PCs as their default device for internet usage and are favouring mobile technology instead.
In 2015, IDC expects the number of consumers accessing the internet through mobile devices in the USA to exceed PC-based internet use. Western Europe and Japan are thought to be around two years behind this trend.
The number of people accessing the internet in the USA via PCs will fall from 240 million this year to 225 million in 2016, while the number of mobile users will increase from 174 million to 265 million.
Karsten Weide, program vice president for Media & Entertainment at IDC, said “In the consumer world, mobile Internet usage is already beginning to displace PC usage, and the United States is leading this trend. There has been much talk about how the future of the Internet will be mobile first and PC second. In the United States, that future is now. The Great PC Exodus on the Internet is happening because the PC was never truly a consumer product. Many consumers use them because there was no better alternative. Now, with the huge and growing installed base of more user-friendly tablets and smartphones, there are.”
Other PC-based activity is also expected to be affected by mobile usage; IDC believes the share of users accessing social networks on their PCs will drop from 66% in 2012 to 52% in 2016.
[Report]