I rate ComScore’s content. I have only been a subscriber for a few months and they send more interesting and relevant digital information than most other publishers put together – with the exception of the giants like Google.
I am always interested in the new statistics and trends emerging in digital communications – ComScore has released the Top 10 Mobile Trends of 2010 and the two trends that interested me most were:
#5 – Email Shifts to the Mobile Phone: 2010 saw usage of PC-based email decline, particularly among teenagers, and it appears that much of that email activity is moving to people’s mobile devices. While Blackberry was once in a league of its own in terms of email functionality, many other devices have since caught up, and consumers are responding. Email now exists across media and mobile devices will continue to be a growing part of that trend.
I myself can corroborate this trend as I believe I am one of the masses who has brought it to life. I love my iPhone. I was never much of a tech head, I’d always wait till the 2nd or 3rd generation came out, once they’d ironed out all the bugs. So I got the iPhone 3GS and I love it. It has changed my life.
I like to be on time. I like to be courteous and considerate. I love that if I’m running late for an appointment and I left the details at home, I can now simple google the name and get the address and phone number, and now I can click to call and let them know I’ll be 5 minutes late. It’s wonderful.
I have about 30-40 minutes on the bus on my way to and from work. I used to read or listen to music to pass the time. Of course I could read and listen to music before but wow I can listen to music and read on the same device! Now I can listen to music on my iphone/ ipod while I check emails. Or I can watch the news in video, or I can watch a downloaded TV show or movie. Or I can update my facebook, twitter and linkedin profiles. I am so much more productive and I love it!
Now the iPad has been released and my husband is not a techno geek, he is a greenie and believes in less is more. But I wanted the iPad like I’ve never wanted any gadget before. So I defied him and was able to convince my work that I needed one to test our new website CMS and iPhone applications. It worked and now I love my iPad too!
Which leads me into the 2nd ComScore mobile trend from 2010.
#9 – iPad Redefines the Mobile Landscape: Apple’s blockbuster launch of the iPad in early 2010 set the stage for a completely new category of device to emerge, as several other tablets and e-readers hit the market by the end of the year. As a reasonably sophisticated computing device that is also mobile, the iPad has given new definition to the types of behaviors in which consumers will engage in the mobile environment. The iPad is also causing time-shifting in how and when consumers engage with content, with the iPad showing a high percentage of activity late at night as people wind down for the evening.
So my iPad is a new toy, literally a couple of weeks old. But I can see why this trend has emerged as well. The iPad is lightweight and fast. I use it while I’m watching TV to quickly search for information that I’ve just seen on TV or heard on the radio. I take it to bed with me and read eBooks. I have it by my bed so that if I have a thought, I can quickly jot it down. Of course I could still use a pen and paper, but the iPad uses less resources and well, its my new toy 🙂
So, the question is, are you part of the 2010 mobile trends or will you join the legions in 2011?