The UK’s obsession with everything mobile is stronger than ever, according to the results of the annual reader survey by Mobile Choice, the UK’s leading mobile magazine.

Since its readers are typically the first to adopt new products and services, the Mobile Choice reader survey is always eagerly awaited by the mobile industry. Its findings time and again act as the first insight into consumer behaviour within the UK mobile market.

As well as revealing the ever-growing importance and bizarre use of standard text messages, the survey shows how people are increasingly using their mobile phone instead of landlines. Disturbingly mobile phone crime continues to rise, as does the amount of people admitting to becoming distracted by mobiles whilst driving!

Fierce network competition has resulted in more people than ever indicating they would end their contract if they could do so without paying a penalty. Perhaps of most concern to the industry is the fact consumers have yet to be persuaded to use the new advanced services such as picture messaging, despite the many millions spent on advertising.

Key findings of The Mobile Choice Reader Survey include:

• Text is fast becoming the most prominent use of mobiles with the average person sending 250 texts a month
• Only 6% of the most savvy mobile phone owners use picture messaging regularly
• 40% of people would end their contract if they were able to avoid paying penalties
• The use of mobile phones has overtaken the use of landlines
• People are prepared to spend more than ever on mobile phones but are rejecting mail order and Internet shopping
• One in five people have been a victim of mobile phone crime
• Despite claiming to be safety conscious, more people then ever admitted to using phones whilst driving

Textual Relations
Although traditional text remains as popular as ever, picture messaging has been slow to take off with only 6% of users with camera phones sending pictures regularly. People can’t get enough of regular texts, with the average person sending over eight messages a day. In fact, 29% of people now claim the main reason they own a phone is to send messages, up from 17% a year ago. Text has also become increasing important in personal relationships:

• ‘Text Sex’ is on the increase with 38% of people admitting to sending texts of a sexual nature, compared to 21% the year before
• 22% of people have dumped a person via text
• 45% of people have started a relationship via text
• 27% of people have sent a personal or sensuous text to the wrong person!
• 16% of people have been harassed or stalked by text
• 44% of people admit to have sent a text whilst driving!!!

Huw Morgan, Editor of Mobile Choice comments, "The popularity of text messaging comes through in direct contrast to the appeal of services such as picture messaging. Although the average person sends 250 texts a month, only 6% of people who have picture phones claim to use the function regularly."

Mobile Users Get More Demanding
The competition for mobile customers continues to rage fiercely. As a result people are more prepared then ever to shop around to get a good deal:

• 40% of people would end their contract if they were able to without incurring penalties, compared to 30% last year

Mobile phones are becoming increasingly disposable as consumer change their mobiles more frequently. In addition, consumers are more willing to pay high prices for better headsets:

• 70% of people change their phones every year – up 10% on the previous year
• 52% of people are prepared to pay over £100 for their phone – up 9% on the previous year
• Nearly one fifth of people are prepared to spend over £200 on their mobile phone

Huw Morgan, Editor of Mobile Choice comments, "One of the biggest issues facing mobile operators is ‘Churn’, where customers leave their network for competitors. With 40% of people indicating they would move networks if they could avoid penalties, we can expect to see further improvements in customer service and competitive tariffs coming from the networks as they battle to keep loyal customers."

Is The Number Up For Landlines?
For the first time in the survey’s history, more than half of respondents indicate they mainly use mobile phones to make calls. The exclusive use of landlines is now less than 1%:

• 81% of people mainly or exclusively use mobile phones to make calls, compared with 66% the year before
• The percentage of people mainly or exclusively using landlines has fallen to 19% from 34% in 2002

Huw Morgan, Editor of Mobile Choice comments, "With the introduction of a range of competitive tariffs, the mobile phone is increasingly becoming used instead of the traditional landline. The introduction of free cross network minutes has been a big driver of this trend, which is set to continue."

The Personal Touch
With phones becoming increasingly sophisticated with features such as cameras, games, and internet facilities, people are deserting other retail channels and heading to high street stores where expert advice is readily available:

• 71% of people bought their phones from high street shops compared to just 59% the previous year
• Internet and mail order shopping has declined from 17% of sales to 12%

Huw Morgan comments, "Mobiles now offer a range of functionality, much of which is new to the average consumer. People need to be shown how these phones can be used and in a way this is very similar to the process of education that occurred when mobile phones where first introduced. As a result people are choosing to buy phones in an environment where they can ask questions and see demonstrations first hand. We have seen this trend ourselves with the re-introduction and popularity of the Mobile Choice user guides."

Mobile Crime
Sadly the Mobile Choice reader survey found mobile phone crime to be on the increase:

• 17% of people surveyed had been a victim of mobile crime

Huw Morgan comments, "Mobile crime is now one of the biggest issues for the mobile industry. The major networks have recognised this and have formed the Mobile Industry Crime Action Forum (MICAF). Once a stolen phone is reported to this organisation it can be prevent from ever being Rendering stolen phones useless, reduces their value to potential thieves, helping to curtail this growing problem. "

Laying Down The Law
The survey reveals popular support for a change in the law to force people to use hands-free kits whilst driving, despite more than 40% of people admitting to sending texts whilst driving:

• 80% of people believe the law should insist on using hands free kits whilst driving, even though 44% of people admitted to texting whilst driving
• 9% of people admitted to almost having a driving accidents whist using their mobile phone

Huw Morgan, Editor of Mobile Choice, "These figures show some hypocrisy on the part of the general public. Whilst most support a change in the law to make people act responsible whilst driving, many admit to texting whilst at the wheel! Worryingly, the number of people admitting to nearly having driving accidents whilst using mobiles has doubled from last year."

Does Size Matter? First it was who had the biggest, then it was who had the smallest, however when it comes to choosing a mobile phone it seems size doesn’t matter after all. When asked to rank the most important factors when choosing a mobile phone, size and surprisingly looks came out as being two of the least important. Significantly inline with market predictions, mobile games have become increasingly important to consumers. The type of game included with a phone is now the most important factor when purchasing a new handset: 1) Games 2) Functionality 3) Digital Camera 4) Colour Screen 5) Size 6) Looks

Huw Morgan comments, "Market analysts have long since predicted the importance of gaming and now it seems consumers are agreeing with them. Most of the mobile networks have created fantastic game arcades on their website they now have an opportunity to promote these services to more than just the hard core gamer."

About The Mobile Choice Survey
Mobile Choice's reader survey is undertaken annually and the results are taken from a sample size of over 1000 replies from its readers.