Asia's mobile phone habits revealed

by Jane Leung 7-Sep-09, 17:07

HONG KONG - Singaporeans and Taiwanese are Asia's most dedicated mobile users, according to a new study by Synovate.

Synovate's global mobile phones survey found that 75 per cent of the 8,000 respondents asked across 11 markets never leave home without their phones. Singaporeans came in second place behind Russia with 89 per cent of the vote.

Almost 60 per cent of Taiwanese responded more dramatically with the statement “I cannot live without their mobiles”, followed again by Singapore with 49 per cent. Managing director of Synovate Taiwan Jenny Chang explains that mobiles “partly act as a remote control, and partly as a security blanket”.

Research has shown that Filipinos are more tech-savvy than other Asia countries in terms of using mobile applications, other than the regular SMS or calling functions. Nearly 13 per cent watch television on their mobiles and 63 per cent play games regularly.

"Many Filipinos use mobiles instead of the internet and computers and it's not surprising that it has become such a multi-purpose, multitasking tool," said Carole Sarthou, managing director for Synovate in the Philippines. “In many cases, a mobile is all people have.”

According to Synovate's research, on a cultural level, mobiles are a favoured medium for conveying negative messages. Leading with 49 per cent was again the Philippines, Malaysia was second with 48 per cent, followed by Singapore with 47 per cent). One in five Malaysians has either been dumped or dumped someone via text message. Malaysia’s managing director Steve Murphy stated: "Confrontation is certainly something that most Malaysians try to avoid. Let’s face it - it is just plain easier to break up with someone via text message than having to tell them face-to-face."

Some 37 per cent of respondents surveyed were unsure about most of the features in their phones; 22 per cent of respondents said they do not know what features they would like to see in mobiles in the future. However, Synovate's global head of media Steve Garton sees this as an opportunity for the industry: “As the mobile becomes more of an all-in-one device, many other businesses are facing challenging times. However, the opportunities for mobile manufacturers and networks are enormous.”