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September 24, 2005

Battery Life Concerns Mobile Users

Topping the wish list of key mobile device features in 14 of the 15 countries surveyed is "two days of battery life during active use," indicating that insufficient battery life is a concern to consumers.

Worries about draining the battery are one of the main reasons why consumers do not use games, music and TV applications on their mobile more frequently, according to the survey conducted by TNS.

Respondents in China were the exception, saying 20 gigabytes of memory is the key feature to have in the future.

Across all countries, almost half of respondents said a high-resolution camera and video camera (48 per cent) and 20 gigabytes of memory (47 per cent), would be important features to incorporate.

In Brazil, a much higher emphasis was placed on video conferencing with 53 percent of people identifying this as a key feature, compared to an average of just 25 percent across all countries surveyed.

Analysts say the market is preparing itself for a period of intense competition to create the new must-have device and build market share.

The report shows that use of MMS is now fairly common, with 46 percent of mobile phone users interviewed saying they send pictures and photos via MMS, and 23 per cent saying they send video or audio clips through MMS.

Camera use among mobile phones owners is also prevalent, with 59 per cent of people who own camera phones using them at least once a week.

Camera phones were used most frequently in France, Korea and the UK with almost a quarter using this function daily.

Hanis Harun, Global Account Director, TNS Technology, said: "The study shows that there is an appetite among consumers for powerful new applications, particularly those around entertainment media and imaging.

"However, the research also indicates that consumers now fully realize that such applications require enhanced battery life and increased memory and they are demanding these improvements as a priority.

"As mobile operators and handset manufacturers develop more converged communication, information and entertainment devices with a host of innovative features and applications, they need to also ensure the fundamentals are in place.

"This means products with long battery life and large memories, and services which are cost effective and easy to use."

Posted by Lohrasp at September 24, 2005 11:32 PM

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