Over 40 percent smartphone owners would give up TV time than mobile devices

INDIA: For decades, television has been the centre of attention for everyone seeking entertainment at home, or catching up with news at work. But things are changing. A Google - IPSOS report shows that India is not only competing, but leading the race in adopting smartphones, over televisions, for entertainment purposes.

While the calling, texting, and emailing are now standard activities on any smartphone, smartphone users in India are ready to do more on these sleek devices. The survey, conducted across 40 nations, shows that in comparison to mature smartphone markets including the US, UK and Germany where less than 27 percent people are willing to give up the time they spend watching television for smartphones, in India, a whopping 49 percent smartphone owners are ready to give up the TV rather than their phones.

This surprising shift it attributable to the combination of communication and entertainment options that the smartphone brings to users. The study showcases that 56 percent of Indians find their smartphones more entertaining than the television. In comparison, countries like the US (21 percent) and the UK (18 percent), or even neighbouring nations come nowhere close to India’s enthusiasm.

While the overall penetration of smartphones is higher amongst males in India, it is women who are leading the usage of smartphones over TV sets. The usage and loyalty behavior of the users revealed that 58 percent women found their smartphones more entertaining than the television.

But do not be mistaken! They are not just watching shows online to entertain themselves; rather, they are using smartphones to find information on where to hangout with friends, connect with them over social networks, and shop online. Indian smartphone owners in the male category, are not far behind when it comes to using the smartphone over the television; but more than 55 percent of them are glued to watching videos on their devices.

According to Lalitesh Katragadda, country head, India Products, Google India: “This is a truly astonishing trend among India's first wave of smartphone users, caused by high quality online video content and superb apps. Although penetration is behind many developed nations, the importance of these multi-purpose gadgets in the lives of Indian smartphone users is much higher in comparison to their global counterparts. We expect this momentum and affinity to cascade into an inflection in India's smartphone adoption, driven by significant price reduction of high quality devices over the next two years.”