New Trends Brought by Smartphone Proliferation

〈 Publication Date: January 7, 2013 〉

■ Smartphone Tops DENTSU SOKEN INC.'s 'Hot Topics & Products' for Third Consecutive Year

In DENTSU SOKEN INC.'s recently announced 'Hot Topics & Products 2012', 'smartphones' (hereafter smartphones) ranked first for the third consecutive year. Additionally, "real-name registration SNS like Facebook" placed third, while free call & messaging apps like LINE also made the rankings. This suggests smartphone-related services are beginning to permeate consumers' lifestyles in a wide variety of ways.

■ User Base Expands Across All Generations

Let's examine smartphone adoption figures over the past year.

【 Smartphone Usage Status (by Gender and Age Group) 】

Based on July 2012 data, the overall smartphone usage rate among the entire target population was 36.8% (up from 19.9% the previous year), clearly showing a dramatic increase. Women are the primary drivers of this growth, with the surge among younger users in their teens and twenties being particularly striking.

Looking at this change from the perspective of feature phones (traditional mobile phones), the data appears as follows.

[Feature Phone Usage (by Gender and Age Group)]

While the rapid rise in smartphone usage tends to draw attention, considering the entire mobile phone market, it's evident that feature phone users still constitute the majority. Particularly noteworthy is that among the 50+ age group, which represents the largest demographic segment in modern Japan, feature phone usage remains as high as 70-80% for both men and women. This is a crucial point to consider when developing marketing and communication plans targeting this demographic.

Looking ahead at the smartphone market, rapid expansion is expected over the next few years, driven primarily by the younger demographic under 30. However, for further growth beyond that, the key factor will likely be whether the 30+ age group can be successfully transitioned to smartphones.

■ Expansion of Mobile Usage for Services Traditionally Used on PCs

While smartphones are expanding their reach, particularly among younger demographics, let's also examine what impact they are having on our lives.

[ Q ] Has owning a smartphone changed your awareness, behavior, or mobile usage habits?

Many respondents cited increased opportunities to perform "searches" and "website browsing" on mobile as noticeable changes brought by smartphone ownership. Usage of services and apps like "photos," "maps," "videos," "SNS," and "games" followed closely with significant responses.

These services have primarily expanded their user base through PC usage until now. However, with the proliferation of smartphones,
(1) penetration into demographics previously reluctant to use PCs
(2) Increased usage opportunities and frequency through mobile access
This confirms that the overall market is significantly expanding.

■ Focus on Trends Since 2013 Including Tablet Devices

Beyond the smartphone proliferation mentioned above, the adoption trend of tablet devices is also likely to be noteworthy from 2013 onward. Since tablet devices are considered services closer to PCs than smartphones, their adoption trend could significantly impact consumers' information behaviors and lifestyles, including those involving smartphones.