Author: Lucy

For many owners of these and tablet devices, use is now a vital part of the buying experience.

The results of a new survey from Perception Research Services International has shown that 76 percent of smartphone owners will use mobile commerce in some way through a smartphone or tablet before they make a purchase of electrics, apparel, and grocery products.

The survey also discovered the specific reasons that these devices are used while shopping.

Smartphone and tablet owners use mobile commerce in a number of different ways as they debate buying various products. In fact, much of the influence from the devices is not for a direct purchase that is actually made online over the device. Instead, it is a part of the overall process from the point that the product is identified and onward.

Mobile commerce, therefore, plays a multichannel role in the road to buying one or several items.

Among the other mobile commerce discoveries that were made by the researchers include the following:

• 53 percent of smartphone owners compare prices through the use of the device.
• 49 percent of the survey’s respondents said that they use their devices to read customer reviews.
• 48 percent of these tablet and smartphone owners use the device to find coupons, sales, and other discount opportunities.
• 48 percent use the devices to seek out additional information about products.
• 37 percent head to a manufacturer’s site in order to obtain more product information.
• 34 percent use the device to seek out the opinion of a friend or family member.
• 31 percent actually make the product or service purchase through a mobile commerce site or app.
• 31 percent take part in a contest.
• 17 percent use the device to view a product demonstration.

The shopper research company, Perception Research Services International, looked into mobile commerce in order to help with merchandizing and packaging systems improvements. The survey involved the participation of 1,450 adults in the United States who were responsible for a minimum of half of the grocery shopping in their household. Among them, just over half (54 percent) owned a smartphone.

With a highly successful year nearly complete, predictions for next year’s smartphones are already being made.

This year, mobile technology brought about tremendous new successes ranging from the sale of the devices themselves, to record marketing spending, and record mcommerce sales.

For this reason, it is only natural that brands and companies attempt to forecast what is to come in 2013.

According to the most recent reports from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), which is a trade association based in Arlington, Virginia, smartphones will account for approximately $37 billion in sales next year. Dealers will have almost 126 million devices shipped to them in 2013. This will represent an increase of 16 percent over 2012.

Tablets will also become an increasingly important form of mobile technology next year.

For those mobile technology devices, sales are expected to reach beyond 105 million units. This represents a figure that is 54 percent greater than that of 2012. It will also lead to a shipment revenue of nearly $36 billion.

The projections have been based on information such as the following, which can help to form an understanding of in mobile technology for 2013:

• 88 percent of mobile technology users check their email on those devices (especially their phones) each day.
• 85 percent of all American adults have some form of cell phone.
• 56 percent of all American adults who own a cell phone also have internet access.
• 53 percent of the owners of cell phones have a smartphone.

According to forecasts from Forbes, the two areas that will see the largest amount of growth in mobile technology include smart cars and digital health (mhealth). The mhealth marketplace is already seeing a rapid explosion of adoption and popularity including areas such as telemedicine, medical records, apps, fitness monitors, and others. This last year alone, it has experienced a growth of 40 percent.

On the other hand, the mobile technology developments in smart cars include developments such as the Google car, for example. These vehicles will be seen in far more events and prototype and product unveilings over the next twelve months.