Unlocking your phone to kill time? You're not alone

appdevelopermagazine.com
People unlock their phones just to kill time – in fact 47 percent of the time people unlock their phones with no specific app or activity in mind. 

A study of 900 mobile phone users - conducted by Phoenix Marketing International and Mobile Posse - analyzed consumer phone usage, attitudes, why and when people unlock their devices to determine their interest in “Proactive Content Discovery.” Proactive Content Discovery can be described as the automatically opening of relevant content when a phone is unlocked, making it the first screen a user sees.

50.4% of all mobile users expressed strong interest in Proactive Content Discovery - this group is called “News Feeders.” This group is as big as the 50.3% of all mobile users that say they use Facebook primarily for social communication with friends and family.

Strong Predictors of interest in Proactive Content Discovery:

• Mobile users that frequently use their phones to consume local/national/world news, entertainment news and gossip are 56% more likely to be interested in Proactive Content Discovery. Mobile users that don’t use their phones to consume local/national/world news, entertainment news and gossip are 73% less likely to be interested in Proactive Content Discovery.


• Mobile users that use Facebook primarily for access to interesting/entertaining stories are 68% more likely to be interested in Proactive Content Discovery. Mobile users that don’t use Facebook primarily for access to interesting/entertaining stories are 67% less likely to be interested in Proactive Content Discovery.

Medium Predictors of interest in Proactive Content Discovery:

• Mobile users that use their phones to “kill time” (For instance, when waiting in line, during TV commercials, etc.) are 27% more likely to be interested in Proactive Content Discovery. Mobile users that don’t use their phones to “kill time” are 66% less likely to be interested in Proactive Content Discovery.

Weak Predictors of interest in Proactive Content Discovery

• Mobile users over 55 are 20% less likely to be highly interested in Proactive Content Discovery, but age is generally a weak predictor of interest in Proactive Content Discovery.


• Mobile users who make over $100,000 are 33% more likely to be highly interested in Proactive Content Discovery, but income is generally a weak indicator of whether or not a mobile user will be interested in Proactive Content Discovery.


• Mobile users who did not vote in last year’s presidential election are 45% less likely to be strongly interested in Proactive Content Discovery, but political party is generally not a predictor of whether or not a mobile user will be interested in Proactive Content Discovery.


• A subscriber’s wireless carrier, how often they unlock their phone, and the region they live are all weak predictors of whether or not a mobile user will be interested in Proactive Content Discovery.