According to the International Communications Market report by OfCom, the UK saw the highest growth in smartphone ownership between January 2009 and January 2010, with numbers increasing by a whopping 70%.
The survey was taken across 17 countries, and smartphone ownership in the UK has rocketed to 18 for every 100 users, placing the UK third behind Spain, with 21 smartphone owners per 100, and Italy which has 26 per 100.
UK subscribers are also noted for using their smartphones more to access social networks on the move, with 24% of UK subscribers logging on via their handsets, compared to just 13% in Germany. Younger UK users are more likely to access social networks on their mobile phones than users in other countries, with 45% of 18 – 24 year olds and 38% of consumers in the 25 – 34 year age group stating they did this.
Mobile take-up also ranks highly in the UK with 91% of the population owning a mobile device, placing the UK second behind Italy with 95%. The UK is the second biggest text messaging nation of those surveyed, with an average of 140 messages per user sent per month. Only Ireland came higher, with 218 messages per person.