• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, June 14, 2011

Past research has shown that mobile activity tends to ramp up on the weekend when people are out and about, doing errands, shopping or socializing. New findings from Lightspeed Research, commissioned by movie site Flixster, provide more insight into weekend mobile use based on a study of 1,000 iPhone and Android users.

In particular, the study found mobile is playing a bigger role in weekend shopping, with 32% using their phones to do research before buying, 27% to compare prices, and a quarter to read product reviews. About two-thirds (62%) turned to their phone when they begin to consider a purchase.

The research showed that mobile use can have a spillover effect. When planning to go to a movie with friends, 58% used their devices to look up nearby restaurants, while another 36% will research stores near the theater. Some 40% prefer to coordinate with friends via mobile social networking.

Not surprisingly, use of mobile content shifts from news and business sources to entertainment-focused properties as the weekend approaches. So movie apps like Fandango, Flixster, MovieFone and Yahoo Movies see more action at the expense of news apps like CNN, Fox News, and The New York Times and business-oriented ones including Monster, UPS and WebEx.

When it comes to shopping habits, six out of 10 iPhone and Android users head to big-box retailers at least one or two weekends per month, and more than one-third eat at a casual dining restaurant before a movie. Top purchase items include clothing, travel (air and hotel), and mobile phones. Last year, more than a quarter bought a laptop computer and the same number plan to buy tablets in the coming year. 

As for mobile advertising, 20% were favorable to ads on their phones, 11% welcomed them, and 30% were neutral. The remaining 39% presumably don't like them. A recent analysis of mobile advertising by comScore showed that mobile content and publishing accounted for half of mobile ads, while 26% were for consumer discretionary goods. This indicates that the bulk of advertising is endemic or for things like high-end clothing, restaurants, hotels, cars and entertainment.

The study also showed smartphone users, like those in the Lightspeed study, are much more likely to pursue non-voice activities, such as browse the mobile Web or use an app than feature phone owners. They're also more likely to see ads on the mobile Web or in applications.