New research shows smartphone ownership in New Zealand is surging ahead, IDC says.

New data reveals the number of homes with smartphones has quadruped in the past two years. In 2011, about 13% of New Zealand homes had a smartphone. The figure for 2013 has leapt to 60%

Although New Zealand’s uptake of digital devices continues to lag other nations, IDC’s 2013 ConsumerScape 360º study entitled 'Understanding the Digital Consumer' highlights the growing popularity of the smartphone. At the same time, adoption in other countries is beginning to plateau.

ConsumerScape 360º surveyed more than 1,500 New Zealand homes (over 50,000 households globally) to identify the current use, purchase intentions and brand perceptions across the consumer electronics and IT segments.

The study shows New Zealand consumers are keen to adopt more innovative technologies.

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Smartphones, tablets and smart TVs are all becoming more common household items.

At the same time, people are now using these devices for a wider range of activities. More than half the respondents are now using their smartphone to access social networking sites.

In 2011, just one in 50 homes had a digital tablet like an iPad. Two years later, the figure is now one in four.

IDC market analyst Shane Minogue says the survey captures the changing dynamics of New Zealand consumers, both in the home and online.

“Low bandwidth activities remain the most popular internet activities on smartphones and PCs. But there are some clear changes taking place. Email and web browsing are becoming more common on smartphones, and less popular on computers.”

“We are also seeing a small increase in uptake of higher bandwidth activities on both devices. Streaming TV and video downloading are becoming more prevalent."

IDC's ConsumerScape 360º highlights trends in video adoption from both an international perspective as well as from the type of video viewing undertaken (e.g. streaming/downloading/viewing user generated video). The study highlights the growth of online video in New Zealand, which has surpassed the worldwide average in some aspects.

“The study shows the greatest catch up can be seen in user generated video. This suggests local constraints like data caps may be holding back downloading and streaming video.”

“We have already seen data caps increased by most ISPs, and a number of new content offerings have entered the market. But more needs to be done to motivate consumers to go online and interact with video,” Minogue says.

The ConsumerScape 360º study is run annually. The 2014 update is scheduled for the second quarter of 2014.