Nearly half of all mobile purchase decisions made today hinge on handset
Internet functionality, which is of course great news for Google right on the heels of its web apps announcement Monday.
The Kelsey Group research with research partner ConStat indicates that 44.7 per cent of US mobile handset customers want an upgrade to "better" Internet access if they are going to spring for a new handset. Currently only 26 per cent of subscribers are signed up for mobile Internet access.
Likewise, the most desired mobile Internet apps are maps and searches of neighbourhood businesses. According to the study, while 9.8 per cent of respondents used their mobile Internet enables devices to search for local products and services, 10.7 per cent accessed mobile maps and a further 10.9 per cent said they had "downloaded [Internet] search or mapping applications to supplement those that came with their mobile phones."
"The combination of unlimited data plans and next-generation Internet-enabled mobile devices, like Apple's iPhone, suggests mobile Web access will grow to become ubiquitous," said Matt Booth, senior vice president and program director, Interactive Local Media, The Kelsey Group.
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