More than half of all US online activity spent on smartphone apps

Time spent using smartphone apps has risen over the 50% mark for Americans as a percentage of total time online, according to research from Comscore.

ComScore says since July 2014, the proportion of time spent online being taken up by smartphone apps has risen nine percentage points from 41% to 50% today. While smartphone apps are responsible for half, mobile web browsing adds an additional 7%, while the same activities on tablets contribute an additional 11% combined.

Therefore mobile in all forms, be it smartphone or tablet, apps or web, now account for 68% of all internet-based online activity in the United States. According to Comscore, the reason for such a heavy bias towards mobile devices comes down to advances in device technology and a nigh-on ubiquitous LTE coverage across the country.

“The convenience factor is simply too powerful,” says the company blog. “You almost always have your smartphone on you, and apps allow you to immediately access a service in one simple tap of the screen. As smartphone screens have gotten larger and as 4G LTE networks enable faster speeds, there becomes even less of a reason to use platforms such as desktop or tablets, save for specific tasks.”

While the mobile phenomena continues to grow and capture an increasing market share, Comscore still reckons more conventional connectivity form (i.e. desktop) will still have its place.

Meanwhile, over in the UK, Comscore also says Pokémon Go is now being used by 30% of British citizens with access to a smartphone or tablet. The app is now the 9th most commonly downloaded ub the country, with 9.5 million unique downloads across smartphone and tablet since it launched in early July. Comscore also said in all its time there’s not been a single comparable instance where an application has gained such enormous traction in the market so quickly. Unless something really massive happens, we promise not to write anything more about Pokémon Go this week.