3GSM: Contacts and calendars can sway device choice

More than 80 per cent of mobile users believe personal information management (PIM) - such as accessing contacts lists and calendars - is a key advantage of owning a mobile device, second only to making calls and sending text messages, according to research.

The Global Mobile Mindset Audit, released by Palm at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona, studied users of standard mobile phones and smartphones across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and the UK.

Users are buying devices specifically tailored to their needs, the study showed. Smartphone users value access to PIM data more than music, video messaging and cameras, while standard mobile phone users are less likely to use the PIM functions included on their devices.

That division also occurs with mobile e-mail usage. On standard phones with e-mail capabilities, 35 per cent of users never use it and only 8.5 per cent use it frequently. But among smartphone users, 45 per cent use their e-mail function regularly.

Roy Bedlow, vice president of Palm, EMEA, said: "Simply enabling a mobile to 'technically' perform a function doesn't mean users will find the experience rewarding enough to use it regularly."

But the study also showed that mobile users are increasingly using their phones in business in the same was as they would do outside of work - a trend Palm is calling "life blending," where users manage social and work information on a single device.

"It stands to reason that more and more people will demand one single device to manage both social and work commitments more effectively," said Bedlow.

Not surprisingly, over 40 per cent of respondents said they were strongly dependent on their mobile phone - more so than any other device.