Mobile usage almost at 100% among GCC millennials

Dubai - Nine out of 10 believe smartphones are most essential while travelling

Smartphone penetration among millennials in the GCC is in the high 90s and mobile usage is at almost 100 per cent, according to a new study by thinkwithgoogle.
Travellers in the Middle East, meanwhile, are depending on their smartphone to plan their holidays, with 40 per cent of GCC travellers using the Internet as their first stop.
Huawei's honor smartphone e-brand predicts that holiday-goers in the summer will spend up to 26 hours a week on their smartphone. Where once the camera was the most important travel accessory, nine out of 10 people in the UAE now believe their smartphone is more essential, proving how important a consumer's device is as part of their lifestyle.
"The fact that holiday-makers will spend up to half their week on the smartphones even surprised us," Chris Sun Baigong, vice-president of Huawei honor Middle East CBG, said.
"What doesn't surprise us, however, is how important smartphones are as an extension of people's lifestyles."
Research from Huawei honor suggests that there is a significant difference in smartphone behaviour between holiday-goers from the UAE and Saudi Arabia. It highlighted that people in the kingdom mostly use their smartphones for gaming and making calls while on a holiday; however, taking photos was still No.1 in terms of usage.
Sun Baigong also added that honor has partnered with cleartrip; vouchers worth up to Dh100 will be given away to all honor users just by registering on the website.
- alvin@khaleejtimes.com