Northern Irish smartphone users were surveyed to understand their use of mobile apps. On average, respondents had 24 apps installed and spent 53 minutes using apps daily. The most popular app categories were social networking, maps/travel, weather, and news. Seven in ten felt apps had made their lives easier. Half of respondents had banking apps from their financial institutions, with two in five using them a few times a week. Keeping track of finances and making online payments were the most desired banking app functions.

1. How ‘Appy’ Are the Northern Irish?
A Presentation
Prepared with
Fleishman Hillard
May 2012
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2. Objectives & Methodology
The primary objective of the research was:
“To gain a better understanding of the attitudes and behaviours of
Smart Phone users towards mobile phone apps”.
An online approach was used among Northern Irish residents who
currently have a Smart Phone. A total of 221 interviews were
conducted and the only quota that was put in place was to achieve
a minimum of 50 interviews among those living in Belfast. Apart
from that, there was natural fallout among Smart Phone users.
All research was carried out between Tuesday 1st and Monday 7th
May 2012.
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3. Profile of Sample – Smart Phone Users
(Base: All NI adults aged 16+ with a smart phone – 221)
Gender Age Region Region
% % % %
16-24
5
Belfast
25-34 23 Antrim
25 35
Male
53
Armagh
35-44 Derry/ 7
24 London
Derry 13
Outside
45-54 Belfast 77 Down
25 20
Female Ferman
47 agh 3
55+ Tyrone
21 22
Those with Smart Phones were predominately male and aged 25-54.
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4. MAIN FINDINGS
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5. Smart Phone Users Have On Average, 24 Apps Each
(Base: All NI adults aged 16+ with a smart phone – 221)
Q.2 In total; approximately how many apps do you have? 5

6. On Average, Just Under One Hour is Spent Using
Apps on A Daily Basis
(Base: All NI adults aged 16+ with a smart phone – 221)
%
iPhone 3G 44%
Less than 10 Mins 19
01.01
Tuesday, April 24
15-24 year olds spend
11-30 Mins 66% Spend Up to
27 more time on their apps –
1 Hour Per Day
approximately 83 minutes
per day while those over
55 years spend the least
31-59 Mins 20 amount of time (26).
Belfast residents spend on
average 79 minutes per
1-2 Hours 21 day using apps.
3-4 Hours
5+ Hours 3
1
Don’t use on a daily basis 9
slide to unlock
Average: 53 Minutes
Q.3 how much time do you spend using apps on a daily basis on your smart phone? 6

7. Smart Phone Users Have a Wide Variety of Apps on
Their Smart Phones
(Base: All NI adults aged 16+ with a smart phone – 221)
Social Map/travel Weather News Gaming Music Photo/Video
Networks
Entertainment Banking/ Travel Utilities Books/ Sports Health &
Financial Reading Fitness
Work Related Lifestyle Reference Education Productivity Catalogues Medical
The majority (7 in 10) have a Social Networking app on their phone, circa 6 in 10 have
Maps/Travel, Weather and News. While over half have Gaming, Music and
Photo/Video. Just over 1 in 3 have a Banking/Financial app (36%).
Q.4a Which of these types of apps do you have on your smart phone? 7

8. Social Networking Apps Are Preferred Given Almost
1 in 3 Claim They Could Not Live Without Them
(Base: All NI adults aged 16+ with a smart phone – 221)
Social Networks
Map/travel News Gaming Photo/Video Music Banking/
Financial
Q.4b What one app could you not do without? #All other mentions 3% or less 8

9. 1 in 2 Claim They Use Their Apps At Home the Most
(Base: All NI adults aged 16+ with a smart phone – 221)
When Out &
At Home In Work
About
On Public In the
In the Car
Transport Bathroom
Q.5 Where do you use apps the most? 9

10. 7 in 10 Believe That Apps Have Made Their Life A
Lot Easier To Some Degree
(Base: All NI adults aged 16+ with a smart phone – 221)
“I worry about the
“Apps have made my security of the
life a lot easier” information I provide
when using Apps”
% %
19
Strongly Agree (5) 26
71% 54%
35
Slightly Agree (4)
45
Neither/Nor (3) 24
21
Slightly Disagree (2) 15
4
Strongly Disagree (1) 5 7
Mean: 3.8 3.4
Q.6 How strongly would you agree/disagree with each statement? 10

11. 1 in 5 Are Unsure As To What Their ‘Dream’ App
Would Do – They Have Never Thought About It!
(Base: All NI adults aged 16+ with a smart phone – 221)
Don’t know/never thought 33 Give me the winning Lotto
about it numbers 3
8 A household manager/home
Organise my day
budgeting/financial advice 2
Give me money/earn money 4 Make me tea 2
I don’t want one/need one 4 Calculate calories in food 2
All social networking apps in 2
Be a game 3 one
Find/ update software and 2
Make a shopping list 3 fixes automatically
Q.7 What would your dream app do? # All other mentions 1% or less 11

12. Half Claim That Their Main Financial Provider Offers A Banking
App; Of Which 2 in 5 Use At Least Every Couple of Days
(Base: All NI adults aged 16+ with a smart phone – 221)
Does your main financial
Frequency of using
institution provide a
Banking app
banking app?
% %
A couple of times a day
No
At least once a day 6
7
12%
49% Yes Every couple of days
Don’t know 27
39%
Once a week
14
Once every couple of weeks
Once a month 6
Lest often 5
6
Never
18
Q.8a Does your main financial institution provide a banking app?
Q.8b How often do you use this banking app to access your bank account? 12

13. A Preference For a Mobile Banking App to Keep
Track of Finances And Make Online Payments
(Base: All NI adults aged 16+ with a smart phone – 221)
Keep Track Make Online Transfer
of Finances Payments Money
Pay for Goods & Services Top Up Apply for New
Directly in Shops Mobile Phone Products
Q.9 Which of the following would you like to be able to do with a banking app? 13

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