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Is your smartphone dethroning your television?

What Mobile
November 13, 2019

We’ve all been increasingly enjoying more entertainment on our smartphones in recent years. Whether you’re commuting to work, or just taking the bus into town, you’re probably enjoying an episode of the latest TV as you travel.

The growth of smartphone streaming means that your TV is suffering some serious competition from your portable, fully HD, Dolby Audio equipped phone. Therefore, our watching habits have dramatically altered over the past couple of years.

According to YouGov research1 sourced by online smartphone provider, e2save, while the TV remains the most popular choice, with 15% of owners spending 21-30 hours a week in front of the telly, other forms of tech are catching up.

One in ten (20%) revealed they watch TV on their laptop or computer for up to five hours per week, compared to 19% of tablet users.

Both devices saw a rise in usage from 2018, with computers rising from 18% to 20%, and tablets rising from 17% to 19%.

Smartphones have also seen a steady rise in usage, with a fifth (20%) of smartphone users now watching just short of five hours of TV on their phones, compared to 2018 (18%) and 2017 (16%). In total, more than one in four (28%) people now use their smartphones for watching TV.

With YouGov statistics showing that the average commute lasts under an hour, the convenience and portability of smartphones means that commuters (23%) are more likely than the national average (20%) to catch up on their favourite shows via their phones.

But, while other devices have seen a rise in popularity, especially under five hours per week, TV still remains the favourite for long term viewing.

The findings from e2save revealed that 15% of TV owners spend 21-30 hours a week in front of the telly, and another 15% spend 6-10 hours a week watching their favourite shows.

Proving bigger isn’t always better, mid-sized screens are the most popular, with 38” (28%) coming out on top, followed by 46.5” (23%).

Top five most popular screen sizes are:

  1. 38” – 28%
  2. 46.5” – 23%
  3. 29” – 16%
  4. 50” – 10%
  5. 20” – 5%

Commenting on the research, Joe Linnington, Mobiles Expert at e2save says: “Over recent years we’ve seen smartphones become so advanced that it’s no surprise most of us don’t wait until we get home to binge the latest box set.”

“With the development of 1080p screens, ultra-fast processors and even 5G, it’s very easy to see why the smartphone is quickly dethroning the television”

To find out more information about e2save, head here: https://www.e2save.com/

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