Sprint: Users want but can't figure out mobile email

Although more than 67 percent of mobile subscribers under the age of 30 use text messaging services, 29 percent of under-30 consumers also desire the ability to send and receive email via wireless device according to a new customer research from Sprint. The operator also reports 55 percent of subscribers under 30 (the largest demographic in terms of text messaging and photo sharing use) currently use mobile email services, a percentage that's more than tripled since 2006. Sprint adds that more than half of survey respondents under 30 believe mobile email capabilities help or would help them stay in touch with friends and family--40 percent of subscribers age 30 and below agree mobile email alternatives do help or would help them accomplish more each day.

The mobile user experience nevertheless remains a huge stumbling block to mobile email adoption, Sprint concludes. "While people clearly understand the value of having email access on their mobile device, we've found they also perceive it as one of the most difficult functions to use," said Sprint senior vice president of retail Kim Dixon in a prepared statement. "In fact, nearly one in four respondents (22 percent) across all groups said they have never tried to activate their phone's email capability because it was too difficult' to figure out. Most surprising, however, is that the youngest age group, 18-24, which we typically assume is the most tech-savvy, was twice as likely as someone over 30 to have tried to activate the email function on their mobile phone but couldn't successfully complete the task."

For more on the Sprint mobile email survey:
- read this release [1]

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