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People spending more time on smartphones than idiot box: Study [Mumbai] [Times of India](Times of India Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) MUMBAI: Earlier, she made house calls to sell embroidered kurtas. Now, the woman entrepreneur from a Mumbai slum takes pictures of them on her phone and posts on a WhatsApp group. Even the orders are received on phone, thanks to the messenger app doubling as a handy tool. Use of smartphones is rising as more people find it easy to use them for both business and leisure, says a recent report that studied 4,000 android users in 18 Indian cities. People spend more than three hours a day tinkering with their phones compared to the time, a little over two hours, spent watching TV. The report, prepared by Ericsson ConsumerLab in April-June 2014, says the rise in usage is due to improved internet connectivity and newer apps. "We did the study on a random sample of people," says Ajay Gupta, vice-president, strategy and marketing, Ericsson India. A metering app was installed on their phones to understand user behavior and broadband experience. The results show that a lot of time is spent on Facebook (23 minutes daily) and WhatsApp (16 minutes), says Gupta. The top activity is streaming videos shared by friends and family. One third of those surveyed watched such videos only on phones despite buffering issues. They are also used as portable video players by 12% of homemakers. Mornings have become the new primetime. "Many watch spiritual videos while earlier they would've started the day by listening to radio," says Gupta. Now, the morning routine of 61% of the respondents consists of browsing. Come evening, 11% working professionals log onto to do some online shopping. Once the novelty of apps wear off, people start using them for business. With high usage, expectations also rise. "Many want consistent broadband experience and say that they are willing to pay for it," says Gupta. (c) 2014 Bennett, Coleman & Company Limited |