Text Messages, Ringtones Most Popular Mobile Data

  • October 20, 2006
Text-messaging remains the "2,000-pound gorilla" of mobile data, according to a new report by consumer research firm NPD Group. Despite the attention surrounding new mobile music and mobile TV initiatives, SMS text-messaging still accounts for 40% of wireless data activity. Twenty-one percent of mobile data users download ringtones, and 9% play mobile games. Slowing the adoption of more advanced mobile content is the lack of a large installed base of capable devices. Until more users upgrade to more sophisticated devices, the NPD report advised that both carriers and handset makers should do more to encourage the use of text-messaging. Those efforts may include promotions ranging from "American Idol" voting on the content side to creating more user-friendly mobile keypads on the device side.
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