UK becoming a "Smartphone society", Ofcom finds
For the first time, smartphones have overtaken laptops as the most popular device for getting online, Ofcom’s 2015 Communications Market Report said.
Nearly 33% of Britons opted for smartphones as the device of choice in 2014, ahead of 30% who preferred laptops.
Ofcom said the toppling of the laptop was a "landmark moment".
Two thirds of Brits browsing the internet now do it through their smartphones, up from 22% last year, which represents a rapid change in the UK market.
The study also found that users now spend almost twice as long online on their smartphones than on laptops and personal computers.
This could be related to the increase in the availability and take-up of 4G services. As at May 2015, 89.5% of premises had outdoor coverage from at least one 4G mobile network, an increase of 17.7% since June 2014.
During 2014, total UK 4G mobile subscriber numbers increased from 2.7m to 23.6 m taking the proportion of total mobile subscriptions that were 4G to 28% at the end of 2014, compared to 3% at the end of 2013.
Just over four in ten smartphone users send photos or videos via text, while 18% use their phone for video internet calls.
In addition, Ofcom found that a substantial proportion of smartphone owners use their phones for transactions; with 45% of them making purchases online, with 44% accessing online banking.
You may also enjoy reading:
Uncertainty over Ofcom replacing the BBC Trust, reports say
Ofcom unlikely to recommend demerger of BT's Openreach, says Charles Stanley