Canadians leading the way on smartphone use, survey finds

The Mobile Life report from research company TNS finds Canadians are leaders when it comes to adopting new technology.

The survey, which sought out opinions of more than 34,000 people worldwide and 1,000 in Canada, showed 41% of Canadians have a smartphone, significantly higher than the global market average of 28%. Men between 22 and 30 are the driving force behind the smartphone craze here, the report found.

Twenty-four percent of smartphone users say they use their phone to visit social networking sites — up from 6% in 2010. When asked what they’re looking at, 63% said they check friends’ status or update their own, 62% send messages to friends, and 56% check their own inbox.

Canadians are also interested in the idea of having a mobile wallet — a cellphone that can be used as a credit or debit card. While just 10% of Canadians already used their phones in this way, 40% said they’re interested in doing this in the future. The report found 17% of Canadians want to be able to use their smartphone to pay for items in shops, restaurants and bars. A further 14% want to pay for water, power and other utilities, and even 8% said they’d be willing to pay rent or mortgage payments with their smartphone.

Tablets are also gaining popularity. While 7% of Canadians own a tablet — slightly higher than the 5% of North Americans — 31% said they intend to purchase one in the next six months… Read More [via torontosun]