Nokia Research Reveals South Africans Spend an Average of 263 Minutes per day on their Phones

Results from Nokia phones global consumer trend report revealed that 69% of people think smartphones have become too expensive and 81% want phones that can stand the test of time. Following this report HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, recently launched six new smartphones in South Africa with the aim of making smartphones more affordable and long-lasting to help encourage users to keep their phones for longer.

What does this global research say?

According to the research conducted by Nokia phones, we are so reliant on our phones that we touch them an average of 142 times a day, spending 18 hours 12 minutes a week looking at the screen – the equivalent of watching the first two seasons of Game of Thrones back-to-back.

This research not only highlights the love that people globally have for their phones, but also the growing wish for a mobile they can trust will keep all their information safe and a phone that they can keep for longer.

Justin Maier, Vice President: Sub Sahara Africa at HMD Global says each of the six new phones launched by HMD Global answers a concern that consumers around the world have raised.

“Their high-quality performance is maintained over several years of use, they all have regular software updates to keep them secure at all times and all the phones, no matter at what price point, work on the latest Android platform.”

What does the South African data say?

Results from the local research indicate that over 60% of South Africans love their smartphones. We love our phones so much that we spend an average of 263 minutes per day looking at our phone screens, spending an average of 172 minutes per day browsing social media and an average of 174 minutes per day browsing the internet. Over half (53.7%) of South Africans said that they are looking to hold onto their phones for longer, waiting on average two years before swapping or upgrading.

Our trust in technology

Most South Africans use their smartphones for internet banking, and more than 40% use it to pay for transactions, so knowing that their phone is secure is important to them.

Over 40% of the population worry about being scammed, especially the younger demographic of (18-24 year old’s) who have been victims of scamming or fraud through their phones. Despite this, it is the 25–44 year age bracket who are more concerned about privacy on their phones.

Globally, mobile phone usage has risen by 90% over the last 10 years, with 83% of people globally now claiming to “love” their phones. This ‘love’ has translated into mobile phones becoming a central hub in all parts of our lives – a third (32 per cent) use their phones for shopping, three quarters (76 per cent) for monitoring their finances, two in three (63 per cent) for fitness, workouts and tracking, while 68 per cent now turn to their handset to pay for transactions.

The top five ways South Africans use their phones: