U.S. mobile phone users eschew multi-media features

U.S. mobile users may carry sophisticated all-in-one multimedia devices, in the form of their mobile phones, but many eschew advanced features and stick to making calls, according to new research from The NPD Group.

by Helen Leggatt

Nearly half (45%) of mobile phone users in the U.S. use their devices to make calls, with just 20% using them to their full potential as all-in-one multimedia devices, found NPD in their survey of over 150,000 mobile users aged 13 and above.

The survey found that:

- 28% didn't know if the could watch videos on their device.

- 23% weren't sure if their phone had GPS capabilities.

- 21% didn't know if their phone would play music.

- 12% didn't know if they could access the Internet via Wi-Fi.

- 34% weren't sure if their phone memory could be expanded.

Yet most mobile users have the ability to do many of the above. NPD's monthly Mobile Phone Track service found 71% of all mobiles purchased by consumers in the U.S. were capable of playing video, 60% had expandable memory, and 55% had GPS technology.

"Increasingly consumers are purchasing phones with advanced capabilities that go far beyond voice calling, but only those who take advantage of these features offer the best revenue potential for operator," said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for NPD.

"Operators and other handset retailers have an opportunity to educate customers as to the capabilities of their handsets in the wake of slower overall handset sales."