Britons prefer smartphones over laptops to go online-watchdog

A third of the people turned to a smartphone first to browse the Internet, while only 30% opened up a laptop

LONDON: Smartphones have overtaken laptops as the preferred way for Britons to go online, driven by increased take-up of the devices and a jump in superfast mobile broadband subscriptions, the British telecoms regulator said on Thursday.

Ofcom's 2015 Communications Market Report said that a third of the people turned to a smartphone first to browse the Internet, access social media or shop online -- a whopping 33 per cent said that a smartphone was the most important device for access to internet -- while 30 per cent opened up a laptop.

A year ago, the ratio stood at 40 per cent preferring to use a laptop with only 22 per cent opting first for a smartphone.

People are also spending more time with their phones, iPhone or Android mobile, using the devices for nearly two hours (1 hour and 54 minutes) every day on average, it said. A third of users turn to their smartphone within five minutes of waking up.

People in the UK took 1.2 billion #selfies last year. Do you take them? #CMR2015 https://t.co/wOYBfXjCzS

— Ofcom (@Ofcom) August 6, 2015

One reason is the ubiquity of smartphones with a vast majority (90 per cent) of young adults between 16-24 years of age owning a device. Older generation of users, between 55-64 years of age, too were fast joining the smartphone revolution with ownership in this age group more than doubling since 2012, from 19 per cent to 50 per cent.

Ofcom said Britain had seen a rapid take-up in superfast mobile broadband in the last year, with an eight-fold increase in 4G subscriptions to 23.6 million.

4G is changing the way we shop, bank, watch TV and communicate as 4G subs leap from 2.7m to 23.6m in a year #CMR2015 pic.twitter.com/cyiibMtT6l

— Ofcom (@Ofcom) August 6, 2015

Smartphone users with 4G are doing more online pic.twitter.com/S3JVlT0Nhg

— Ofcom (@Ofcom) August 6, 2015

Television, however, still met most people's entertainment needs. People watch on average 3 hours 40 minutes of broadcast TV a day, 11 minutes less than a year ago, Ofcom said.