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Singapore. Dinner seems to be the only time of the day that Singaporeans can resist the 'call' of the smartphone.

But they are the most hooked on it during their morning commute.

These were among the findings of a global research report on user habits released yesterday, showing that Singaporeans are one of the world's most avid users of these mobile computers.

The survey by market research company TNS found that 72 percent, or about 5.3 million, of the 7.3 million mobile phones here are smartphones.

Singapore's 72 percent figure is the world's third-highest smartphone penetration rate, after Saudi Arabia's 86 percent and the United Arab Emirates' (UAE's) 75 percent.

TNS' managing director for global technology James Fergusson said consumers worldwide are hooked on smartphones because a single device connects them to many activity options, from surfing the Internet and keeping friends updated via Facebook to playing games.

The Republic's penetration rate, he added, got a boost due to its 'high standards of living and good quality telco coverage'. These reasons were similarly cited for Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The survey polled 34,000 people aged 16 to 60 in 43 countries between October and November last year. It included 578 Singaporeans.

It found Singapore users to be “much more tech-savvy than others in the world,” he said.

“You only have to travel on the MRT to see how much those of us in Singapore rely on our mobile devices at every point of our day. What we're seeing here is a glimpse into the future of other countries,” added Mr Fergusson, who is based in Singapore.

Popular activities include sending text messages, visiting social networking site Facebook, playing games and checking email.

“You see a massive spike in mobile usage during the daily commute and in the late evening, while all mobile activity dips dramatically as Singaporeans eat dinner,” he said.

During the morning commute, smartphones are the most heavily used — to play music and games, and send text messages.

Usage slows down when consumers get to their workplace.

They begin fiddling with their phones again during lunch to catch up with friends via Facebook, for example, send text messages and surf the Internet.

Smartphone activity slowly ebbs to a daily low during dinner.

Its usage spikes again after dinner, with primary activities being social networking and Web surfing, before folks call it a night.

One typical smartphone fan is Ms Lisa Goh, who uses her Samsung Galaxy S to connect with friends and update them on her life 'at least four times a day'.

On Facebook, the 20-year-old undergraduate will 'share pictures of what we had for lunch, pictures of stuff happening on campus and what I and my friends are doing'.

Customers like Ms Goh give a clear signal of how Singaporeans are taking advantage of their mobile device's ability to go online any time, anywhere, said Mr Fergusson.

“When sharing things with friends via Facebook, like say, telling them of a fantastic promotion in Orchard Road you just saw, there is much greater value in them [friends] receiving such data as it happens, than later at your desktop computer,” he added.

The survey also revealed which smartphones get a ringing endorsement here.

Apple's iPhone is popular, with a 35 per cent share of the market.

Nokia pipped it by a whisker at 38 per cent, although it is likely to lose its lead as more users switch to iPhones or models running Google's Android software, said Mr Fergusson.

BlackBerry and Microsoft Windows handsets each has a 6 per cent market share.


Reprinted courtesy of Straits Times Indonesia. To subscribe to Straits Times Indonesia and/or the Jakarta Globe call 2553 5055.