Smartphone users shift from talking to tapping

More than a quarter of smartphone users in developed markets will not typically use the devices for traditional voice calls this year, according to research showing that the handsets are increasingly being used for data use only.

Deloitte, the professional services company, found that people are turning to internet-based messaging, social media, video and voice services to rather than making calls over a mobile voice network. About 22 per cent of smartphone users said that they had already stopped using their phones to make traditional phone calls in any given week in 2015, a rise from 11 per cent in 2012. Deloitte said this showed the rapid migration of people to so-called “over the top” internet services rather than using the voice minutes assigned by their mobile provider. It predicted that this number would rise to 26 per cent this year. The age group with the largest proportion of so-called data exclusive packages was 18-24 year olds, with almost a third in developed countries not making phone calls on a weekly basis.