Just 12% of consumers embrace high-end mobile apps

Eighty-eight percent of U.S. consumers say they've never used their mobile phones to screen video content, with 84 percent never exploiting mobile email services and another 79 eschewing mobile games, according to a new consumer survey commissioned by global management consulting firm Accenture and conducted by market research company Survey.com. Among the 5,047 U.S. adults queried, consumer spending on electronics devices and applications including mobile phones, personal computers, TVs and the web was highest among the 18-to-34 demographic, with 17 percent spending between $1,500 and $3,000 over the previous year on consumer electronics, compared to only 11 percent of those at least 35 years old. In addition, the survey reports that 73 percent of 18-to-24 year olds use social networking sites, compared to only 7 percent of consumers over 55.

"Clearly, many consumers are not widely embracing higher end cell phone applications. And the vast majority of older Americans, in particular, are not inspired by the social networking phenomenon," said Accenture's Electronics & High Tech senior executive Kumu Puri in a prepared statement. "To capitalize on these market realities, consumer technology companies need to customize their ease of use and design differentiation for the different age groups. This begins with envisioning a specific consumer's experience and delivering that through hardware, software and services that are more compelling and enjoyable."

For more on the Accenture study:
- read this release [1]

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