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Ofcom survey says Britons favour smartphones over desktops for accessing news by margin of two to one

By Dominic Ponsford

UK adults say they are now twice as likely to look at news websites on a smartphone than they are a desktop computer.

The annual Ofcom report, “Adults’ media use and attitudes”, surveyed 1,890 adults between October and November 2014.

Internet users were asked what type of device they mostly use to look at news websites and apps. The results were:

  • Laptop/netbook: 36 per cent
  • Smartphone: 32 per cent
  • Desktop computer: 16 per cent
  • Other device: 16 per cent.

In recent months major news websites which have relaunched with a primary focus on mobile and tablet devices include: BBC News, The Guardian and The Sun.

It is the tenth year that Ofcom has published this annual report. It found that over that time average UK internet use has more than doubled from 9.9 hours per week to 20.5 hours.

Ofcom estimates that 86 per cent of UK adults use the internet and that 72 per cent of these internet users have social media profiles (four fifths of whom use social media every day).

The percentage of internet users said they access online news on a weekly basis has increased from 25 per cent in 2005 to 42 per cent at the end of 2014.

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Looking at all UK adults, some 81 per cent say they use a computer to go online, 61 per cent use a smartphone and 39 per cent a tablet.

Smartphone user to browse the internet is up from 28 per cent five years ago.

Internet users claim to visit an average of 15 different websites in a typical week.

Asked which media they use every day, the results were as follows:

  • TV set: 92 per cent
  • Mobile phone: 82 per cent
  • PC/laptop: 61 per cent
  • Radio: 55 per cent
  • Books/mags/newspapers: 54 per cent
  • Tablet: 37 per cent
  • DVD/Blu ray player: 19 per cent
  • Games console: 15 per cent
  • MP3 player: 12 per cent.

Read the 2015 Ofcom "Adults' media use and attitudes" survey here.

 

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