Google reveals three out of every four Irish people now own a smartphone

22 Jun 2015

Three out of four Irish consumers now carry a smartphone, according to Google’s latest Consumer Barometer. Each Irish person owns on average 3.2 connected devices.

This is the fifth year of the Google Consumer Barometer, which is used by advertisers to compare digital, mobile, video and shopping habits across 56 countries.

Google created the Consumer Barometer to provide marketers with the latest consumer insights to support planning in a fast-changing digital landscape.

According to the survey, the average Irish person owns on average 3.2 connected devices, which is up 19pc since 2013.

The Irish shopper is an online shopper, the research showed. 56pc of us research potential purchases online, with one in every three people going on to purchase the product online.

In terms of devices used, 79pc of Irish consumers use personal computers, 45pc use tablet computers and 92pc own a TV. Of these TVs, 31pc are internet-enabled. 52pc use set-top boxes to record programmes and 17pc use streaming devices like Google Chromecast devices and Apple TVs.

Only 2pc of Irish people admit to using wearable digital devices.

Mobile sites are no longer a luxury for businesses

Approximately three out of four Irish people have a smartphone and 60pc of us are using our mobiles to get online more or as often as we use a computer.

This means a good mobile site offering is no longer optional for businesses wanting to grow their business online.

Despite this, 57pc are encountering issues on mobile sites and 25pc go on to find another site that works better on mobile.

About 50pc of consumers only consider one to two brands before purchasing, which makes it crucial for brands to be top of mind and easy to find online.

An overwhelming 89pc of Irish consumers have made an international purchase online.

Smartphone user image via Shutterstock

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com