Smartphones the new e-mail device? February 13, 2012Mobile Applications, Mobile Technology, SmartphonesOff

Webmail use shrinking while mobile phones market share growing.

Unsurprisingly, e-mail usage is shifting away from web in favor of mobile, or specifically, mobile devices. For starters, data shows that more e-mail users are now using e-mail apps and other alternatives to communicate, while “traditional” e-mail access using the web browser is shrinking.

Among e-mail users aged 18 to 24, webmail usage dropped 34 percent in December compared to the total users two years ago. Shrinking webmail users also appeared among e-mail users aged 35 to 44 with 1 percent decline, and also the users aged 55 to 64 (by seven points). Users aged 12 to 17 are also using other devices to access electronic mail.

According to comScore, the numbers are related to growing smartphone owners, and new devices have “apps” like for example, Gmail or Yahoo Mail, that a user can install to access his/her e-mails. Aside from smartphones (that can call, text and browser the web), younger e-mail users have been using non-smartphone devices that can connect to the internet and browse the web like the iPod touch, other Android devices, and tablet computers like the iPad and other touchscreen devices that offer web access and applications.

Also this year, research firm Canalys said smartphone shipments last year have exceeded desktop (including tablet computers) devices with 487.7 million units compared to 414.6 million desktop PC shipments.

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