New research from the Ericsson ConsumerLab team has found that found that an increasing number of consumers are using their smartphones to go online before getting out of bed. 35% of Android and iPhone users in the USA said they interacted with non-voice apps before getting up, with almost a fifth of social networking users connecting with Facebook friends while in bed.
There’s also a desire to link portable devices with other online services and equipment. 54% of US users with portable storage devices said they wanted to synchronise these with their home PC files, while 49% of camera owners wanted direct access to storage ‘in the cloud’ and 36% of MP3 player owners wanted to connect with their home music collection when out.
Michael Björn, Head of Research at Ericsson ConsumerLab, said “Our research found apps are appealing to people at an emotional level. Consumers become attached to a certain set of apps that makes them feel more in control of their lives, and turns everyday chores into positive experiences. Apps even give consumers a new sense of freedom; if a new situation arises, there’s probably an app out there that could help them.”