Time online split nearly evenly between computers, smartphones: Comscore

Canadians are still spending a good amount of time on computers to access content online, though 11 per cent of the country uses smartphones and tablets exclusively, according to data from Comscore Inc. Comscore’s fourth quarter 2017 report found that Canadians spent 41 per cent of time online accessing digital content on their desktops and laptops, while they spent less time on smartphone apps, at 38 per cent and tablets at 12 per cent. However, when smartphone browsers, at six per cent of time spent, are added to the mix, smartphone use climbs higher than computer use. The report categorizes mobile as both smartphones and tablets, which, on aggregate, also trump computers. The time measured included use both at home and in the workplace. But those computer numbers are still a fair bit more higher other countries, where time spent is 29 per cent in the United States — 55 per cent on smartphone apps — and 28 per cent in the United Kingdom, with 50 per cent on smartphone apps. Darrick Li, senior director of sales at Comscore, noted in a phone interview that screen size matters when it comes to watching video. “We would tend to gravitate to a larger screen when we’re watching video...Canadians are more engaged in terms of the number of videos we watch, and the time we spend watching videos has always been higher than other major markets. That’s a huge part of it,” Li said. In total, Comscore said 87 per cent of connected Canadians — or 28 million — still use desktop computers and 82 per cent use the aforementioned mobile devices. Comparatively, 83 per cent and 91 per cent in the United States and 75 per cent and 89 per cent in the United Kingdom use desktop and mobile, respectively. For mobile, 11 per cent of connected Canadians are using those devices exclusively, the report found. Meanwhile, the number of unique mobile-only visitors to websites has shot up 59 per cent year-over-year to 3.6 million of a total mobile (smartphones and tablets) audience in Canada of 22.6 million, it said. Comscore used data from several of its measurement products, including a platform that scans more than 300,000 digital media entities, including “un-duplicated audience size, demographic composition, engagement, performance within key user segments and behavioural trends.”

Time online split nearly evenly between computers, smartphones: Comscore

Brief | July 4, 2018

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us

Time online split nearly evenly between computers, smartphones: Comscore

Brief | July 4, 2018

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Related Stories

CRTC announces changes to Broadband Fund

CRTC launches consult on providing more info to consumers shopping for internet services

Champagne announces launch of Canadian AI Safety Institute

Satellite is ‘here to stay’ as connectivity solution, industry players say

Reuse & Permissions

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us