3 Mobile survey shows Aussies won't give up their phones

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Monday, 15 December 2008 11:21

IT Industry - Strategy

In a time of economic crisis and greatly reduced spending by consumers, a new survey shows that Australians are loathe to give up their mobile phone habits, preferring to give up exercise, coffee and escapades with friends first.

Although some will say that a survey conducted by a mobile phone company showing that “consumers will give up other things before their mobile phones” is a given, the fact is that the mobile phone is the one thing few people can do without in the modern world.

It’s our lifeline to friends and family, an online window into the multitude of information on the world wide web, a gateway to Facebook, instant messaging, SMS messages, TV streams, weather updates and more. It’s even a clock and alarm clock for billions.

Of course, modern mobiles are FM radios, mp3 and video players too, and for many, even an “emergency torch” that provides light enough to put the keys in the door at night.

Whichever way you look at it, the mobile phone has become the indispensable digital swiss-army knife of life, and so 3 Mobile’s survey findings are not surprising.

Which leads us to what those results have actually uncovered.

3 Mobile survey looked at what consumers “are willing to cut back on when times are tough”, and it reveals that “exercise is the most popular expense to ditch, with 54% of respondents stating they are ‘very likely’ to give up workouts. 1 in 3 said a morning caffeine shot is the next most readily sacrificed cost (38%), followed by going out with friends (18%).”

Now, mobile phones aren’t the top-ranked spending priority – that, unsurprisingly, is food, with only “6% willing to slim down the grocery bill”. The survey says that “mobile phones come a close second, with just 13% reporting that they would consider curbing their mobile spending.”

Why are consumers so reluctant to relinquish their mobiles? The survey found that:

- 71% believe their mobile improves the quality of their life

- Almost a third (31%) said their social life is organised entirely on their mobile

- 1 in 3 (34 %) would use their mobile to pretend to be occupied in a social situation when alone or feeling vulnerable

- 35% are likely to use their mobile to avoid talking to someone in the street

- 1 in 5 (19%) are likely to use their handset to impress a member of the opposite sex

More survey findings, ways to save money and comments from 3 Mobile executives are on page 2, please read on!