Study: Rich people embracing the mobile web, too

Regardless of the economic downturn, the nation's financial elite continue adopting mobile data services according to research firm the Luxury Institute, which tracks the behaviors of high net-worth consumers. After surveying U.S. consumers from households with an average income of $332,000 and average net worth of $3.3 million, the Luxury Institute reports 68 percent check weather forecasts on their smartphones, 58 percent obtain driving directions and another 58 percent look up nearby businesses. Also popular on the mobile web: Financial market updates (46 percent), movie showtime listings and sports scores (both 45 percent) and traffic updates (42 percent).

The Luxury Institute notes that higher levels of wealth and income suggest a greater uptake of various smartphone features--individuals worth at least $5 million are twice as likely to play games and watch or listen to downloaded content as those of us with portfolios valued less than $5 million. Age is also a factor: Sixty percent of respondents 44 and younger send and receive picture messages, compared to just 31 percent of those 55 and older, and 48 percent surf the web on their smartphones and mobile devices, compared to 26 percent of those 55 and up.

The wealthy are also embracing mobile social networking. Among Luxury Institute study respondents who are members of at least one social networking community, Facebook and MySpace are also the two most visited mobile sites, with two thirds saying they have accessed both sites from their mobiles devices--39 percent say they access these sites at least once a day. In addition, 18 percent of survey respondents have used professional networking site LinkedIn on their mobile devices.

In summation: Rich people--they're just like you and me! (Except for the mind-boggling wealth, power and influence, that is.)

For more on the Luxury Institute study:
- read this release

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