SOURCE: M:Metrics

 
Jun 15, 2007 05:00 ET

M:Metrics: High Awareness, Strong Demand for iPhone Among British and American Mobile Phone Users

Measurement Firm Finds That 56 Percent of Britons and 64 Percent of Americans Are Aware of the iPhone

SEATTLE, WA and LONDON--(Marketwire - June 15, 2007) - M:Metrics, the mobile market authority, today released its findings from its April Benchmark Survey surrounding consumer awareness and intention to purchase an iPhone. The measurement firm found that 56 percent of British and 64 percent of American mobile phone users were aware of the iPhone. In the U.S., where the device will launch first, 14 percent of those who had heard about the iPhone reported they would be highly interested in buying one.

"This data confirms that the iPhone has sparked the imaginations of consumers and is not merely a topic of conversation among insiders and technology enthusiasts," observed Mark Donovan, senior vice president and senior analyst, M:Metrics. "19 million Americans reported strong interest in purchasing an iPhone -- an impressive figure, when you consider that the installed base of most high-end devices rarely approaches one million and respondents were informed of the price point as well as of the AT&T exclusive."

While AT&T has a five-year exclusive on the device in the United States, 67 percent of those who were most inclined to purchase an iPhone are subscribers on other carrier networks. "This is an early indication that AT&T's strategy to use the device to lure customers from competitors could pay off," commented Donovan.

Among the U.K. subscribers who were aware of the iPhone, 30 percent, or seven million, reported strong interest in buying one, even though a launch date in Europe has yet to be announced.

"We expected that mobile users in the U.K. would be more inclined to buy an expensive device, since smartphones are twice as popular in the U.K. as in the U.S. These figures are very impressive, although respondents in the U.K. were not presented with a launch price or any restriction of mobile phone carrier as in the U.S.," said Paul Goode, vice president and senior analyst, from M:Metrics London office. "It's also interesting to note that in both geographies, 64 percent of those with a strong interest in buying an iPhone already own an MP3 player, compared to a market average of 30 percent for other music phones owners, so it will be interesting to see at what rate consumers replace their digital music player with an iPhone."

United Kingdom: Intent       Subscribers    Percent of     Percent of Total
 to Buy iPhone                               Aware          Subscribers
----------------------       -----------    ----------     ----------------
Low Interest
(1-4 on 10 point scale)      12,444,115       50%            28%
Neutral Interest
(5-6 on 10 point scale)       5,529,019       22%            12%
Strong Interest
(7-10 on 10 point scale)      6,960,113       28%            16%

Source: M:Metrics. Survey of U.K. mobile subscribers for April 2007.
n=5,293 mobile subscribers.

United States:               Subscribers    Percent of     Percent of Total
Intent to Buy iPhone                         Aware          Subscribers
----------------------       -----------    ----------     ----------------
Low Interest
(1-4 on 10 point scale)      97,252,651       74%            47%
Neutral Interest
(5-6 on 10 point scale)      15,780,356       12%             8%
Strong Interest
(7-10 on 10 point scale)     19,038,656       14%             9%

Source: M:Metrics. Survey of U.S. mobile subscribers for April 2007.
n=11,060 U.S. mobile subscribers.

"While other devices -- some of them already on the market -- have features equal or better than the iPhone, such as 3G, superior cameras, and the like, the iPhone has been the first mobile device to create widespread consumer excitement around a mobile phone," commented Donovan. "This has the potential to increase consumer demand for more expensive, full-featured phones across the board as OEMs and other operators respond to AT&T/Apple's marketing juggernaut."

M:Metrics applies trusted media measurement methodologies to assess the audience for mobile content and applications. As the world's most authoritative mobile market measurement firm, M:Metrics delivers the most accurate mobile market metrics through the world's largest monthly survey of mobile subscribers as well as automated data collection methodologies. Below are the findings of its April Benchmark Survey.

France Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications
M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: April 2007

                                     Subscribers                 Percentage
Activity                               (1000s)      Percentage     Change
--------                             -----------    ----------   ----------
Sent Text Message                      31,755          71.4%        -1.3%
Used Photo Messaging                    9,321          20.9%        -1.0%
Browsed News and Information            3,465           7.8%         3.6%
Used Personal E-Mail                    2,674           6.0%        -3.3%
Purchased Ringtone                      2,189           4.9%        -5.8%
Used Mobile Instant Messenger           1,345           3.0%        -5.5%
Used Work E-Mail                        1,055           2.4%        -5.5%
Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver        802           1.8%       -12.6%
Downloaded Mobile Game                    556           1.2%       -11.8%

Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2006. Survey of French mobile
 subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending
 28 February, 2007, n= 12,874



Germany Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications
M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: April 2007

                                     Subscribers                 Percentage
Activity                               (1000s)      Percentage     Change
--------                             -----------    ----------   ----------
Sent Text Message                      36,859          80.1%        -0.6%
Used Photo Messaging                    9,324          20.3%         1.6%
Used Personal E-Mail                    2,538           5.5%        -0.7%
Purchased Ringtone                      2,099           4.6%        -3.5%
Browsed News and Information            1,636           3.6%         6.9%
Used Mobile Instant Messenger           1,377           3.0%         3.8%
Used Work E-Mail                        1,303           2.8%         1.9%
Downloaded Mobile Game                  1,143           2.5%        -6.9%
Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver        887           1.9%        -1.7%

Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2006. Survey of German mobile
 subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending
 28 February, 2007, n= 15,810



Italy Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications
M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: April 2007

                                     Subscribers                 Percentage
Activity                               (1000s)       Percentage    Change
--------                             -----------    ----------   ----------
Sent Text Message                      36,727          83.5%         1.1%
Used Photo Messaging                   12,851          29.2%        -0.8%
Used Personal E-Mail                    3,602           8.2%         1.5%
Used Mobile Instant Messenger           2,408           5.5%         2.0%
Browsed News and Information            2,359           5.4%        -3.3%
Purchased Ringtone                      2,192           5.0%         8.4%
Used Work E-Mail                        2,076           4.7%         2.8%
Downloaded Mobile Game                  1,429           3.2%        -0.8%
Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver      1,196           2.7%         4.5%

Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2006. Survey of Italian mobile
 subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending
 28 February, 2007, n= 13,297



Spain Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications
M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: April 2007

                                     Subscribers                 Percentage
Activity                               (1000s)      Percentage     Change
--------                             -----------    ----------   ----------
Sent Text Message                      26,583          83.1%        -0.3%
Used Photo Messaging                    9,705          30.3%         5.3%
Used Personal E-Mail                    2,669           8.3%         2.6%
Used Mobile Instant Messenger           2,021           6.3%        -5.7%
Purchased Ringtone                      1,992           6.2%        -4.3%
Used Work E-Mail                        1,764           5.5%         4.3%
Browsed News and Information            1,761           5.5%        -1.6%
Downloaded Mobile Game                  1,529           4.8%        -5.9%
Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver        752           2.3%        -6.7%

Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2006. Survey of Spanish mobile
 subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending
 28 February, 2007, n= 13,458



U.K. Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications
M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: April 2007

                                     Subscribers                 Percentage
Activity                               (1000s)      Percentage     Change
--------                             -----------    ----------   ----------
Sent Text Message                      38,314          86.1%         0.3%
Used Photo Messaging                   12,839          28.9%        -1.4%
Browsed News and Information            5,884          13.2%        -0.6%
Used Personal E-Mail                    3,140           7.1%        -2.3%
Used Mobile Instant Messenger           2,029           4.6%         3.5%
Downloaded Mobile Game                  2,025           4.6%        -7.0%
Purchased Ringtone                      1,771           4.0%        -9.2%
Used Work E-Mail                        1,564           3.5%         0.9%
Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver        793           1.8%        -5.5%

Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2006. Survey of U.K. mobile
 subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending
 28 February, 2007, n= 15,636



U.S. Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications
M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: April 2007

                                     Subscribers                 Percentage
Activity                               (1000s)      Percentage     Change
--------                             -----------    ----------   ----------
Sent Text Message                      83,030          40.1%         1.2%
Used Photo Messaging                   33,766          16.3%         6.6%
Browsed News and Information           20,019           9.7%         0.3%
Purchased Ringtone                     19,184           9.3%        -0.7%
Used Personal E-Mail                   17,793           8.6%         4.9%
Used Mobile Instant Messenger          13,907           6.7%         1.4%
Used Work E-Mail                       10,445           5.0%         6.2%
Downloaded Mobile Game                  6,788           3.3%         2.9%
Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver      6,567           3.2%         0.3%

Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2006. Survey of U.S. mobile
 subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending
 30 April, 2007, n= 33,810

About M:Metrics

M:Metrics is the mobile market measurement authority. As the only research firm to measure the audience for mobile media, M:Metrics provides the most accurate metrics on actual mobile content consumption by applying trusted media measurement methodologies to the mobile market. M:Metrics' monthly syndicated data service gives clients the critical insights and intelligence required to inform smart business strategies and the competitive benchmarks needed to evaluate the performance of competitors and partners. M:Metrics is a private, venture-funded corporation headquartered in Seattle, with offices in San Francisco and London.

About M:Metrics Data

Based on continually refreshed samples of nationally representative mobile phone consumers, M:Metrics reports summarise market size, device reach, and key demographic and mobile phone usage characteristics.

The data presented here is drawn from an extensive survey questionnaire that collects specific device model and carrier subscription information from each month's sample of mobile phone subscribers, and also drills down into specific details related to current and past usage of various mobile phone applications and content. Data collected from each sample are statistically balanced and projected to the total national population of mobile phone subscribers.

Authorized Uses

Members of the press may cite research data or a portion of text provided that each is sourced to M:Metrics, for example, "Source: M:Metrics, Inc." or "According to M:Metrics,… " Copies of graphs, data tables or slides must include the following copyright notice affixed to all material: "Copyright © 2007, M:Metrics, Inc."

Contacts:
Jaimee Minney
M:Metrics
+1 206.757.1360 (o)
Email Contact

Tina Lorkin
M:Metrics
+44 7867 860 942 (m)
Email Contact

U.K.
Richard Fogg
CompanyCare Communications
+44 (0)118 939 5900
Email Contact
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