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Ericsson: 10 hot consumer trends for 2013

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN — (Marketwire) — 12/13/12 —

* Ericsson ConsumerLab has identified some of the most important consumer
trends for the coming year

* The cloud reshaping consumer needs and women driving the smartphone
market
are some of the important trends

* Young people-s behavior changes society and the internet gets put to
new use
in times of economic uncertainty

As 2012 draws to a close, Ericsson ConsumerLab has identified the hottest
consumer trends for 2013 and beyond. For more than 15 years, ConsumerLab
has
conducted research into people-s values, behavior and ways of using ICT
products
and services.

Michael Björn, Head of Research at ConsumerLab, says: “Our global
research
program is based on annual interviews with over 100,000 individuals in more
than
40 countries and 15 megacities. Over the years we have amassed a huge
database
of consumer trend data – and we see that the pace of change is currently
more
rapid than ever”

Here are the 10 hottest consumer trends:

1. Cloud reliance reshapes device needs. More than 50 percent of tablet
users
and well above 40 percent of smartphone users in USA, Japan, Australia and
Sweden appreciate the improved simplicity of having the same apps and data
seamlessly available through the cloud on multiple devices.

2. Computing for a scattered mind. From desktops, files and folders to flat
surfaces, apps and cloud services, consumers are increasingly turning their
backs on a computing paradigm for the focused mind. Tasks are handled at
the
spur of the moment – as we stand in a shopping line or talk to someone at a
café. Purchase intent is higher for tablets compared to desktop PCs,
and for
smartphones compared to laptops.

3. Bring your own broadband to work. A total of 57 percent of smartphone
users
use their personal smartphone subscriptions at work. Personal smartphones
are
increasingly being used for work, to send emails, plan business trips, find
locations and more.

4. City-dwellers go relentlessly mobile. By relentlessly accessing the
internet
always and everywhere, consumers are now an unstoppable force making
internet
truly mobile. Total smartphone subscriptions will reach 3.3 billion by 2018
and
mobile network coverage is one of the most important drivers of
satisfaction for
city life.

5. Personal social security networks. As a result of economic turbulence,
trust
in traditional structures and authorities is decreasing and consumers
increasingly trust their personal communities. Personal networks online
serve as
a safety net and social media is shaping up to be a serious contender to
the
traditional job agency.

6. Women drive the smartphone market. New figures clearly show that women
drive
mass-market smartphone adoption. No less than 97 percent of female
smartphone
owners use SMS. A total of 77 percent send and receive photos, 59 percent
use
social networking, 24 percent check in at locations and 17 percent redeem
coupons. The figures for men are lower in these areas.

7. Cities become hubs for social creativity. City center dwellers have
significantly more friends online than people in suburban areas. 12 percent
of
people that live in cities say that the main reason for using social
networks is
to connect and exchange ideas with others, making it the third most common
reason for social networking after staying up-to-date with friends and
keeping
them updated.

8. In-line shopping. A total of 32 percent of smartphone users already shop
with
smartphones; they now start to combine in-store and online shopping
aspects.
They want to see products, get information and make price comparisons, and
make
purchases immediately without having to que up at the cash register.

9. TV goes social. A total of 62 percent of viewers use social forums while
watching video and TV – and 42 percent of those who use social forums or
chats
while watching discuss things they currently watch on a weekly basis. Over
30
percent are more likely to pay for content watched in social contexts. The
majority of video and TV consumption on mobile devices takes place in the
home.

10. Learning in transformation. Learning is transformed through both
internal
and external forces: Young people bring their personal technology
experience
into the classroom, driving a bottom-up pressure for change. Simultaneously
governments and institutions look for new ICT solutions in order to be more
efficient. Connectivity changes the outlook for children on a global scale.
In
India, around 30 million of 69 million urban children aged 9 to 18 own
mobile
phones.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Link to “10 hot consumer trends for 2013” report:

Link to infographics:

Ericsson at Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas, January 8-11, 2013

Ericsson booth at Las Vegas Convention Center Central Hall Booth #13638
For one-on-one interviews about this report during CES please contact
Ericsson
media relations team at

About Ericsson ConsumerLab

Ericsson ConsumerLab gains its knowledge through a global consumer research
program based on interviews with 100,000 individuals each year, in more
than 40
countries and 15 megacities – statistically representing the views of 1.1
billion people. Both quantitative and qualitative methods are used, and
hundreds
of hours are spent with consumers from different cultures.

All ConsumerLab reports can be found at:

Download high-resolution photos and broadcast-quality video at

Ericsson is the world-s leading provider of communications technology and
services. We are enabling the Networked Society with efficient real-time
solutions that allow us all to study, work and live our lives more freely,
in
sustainable societies around the world.

Our offering comprises services, software and infrastructure within
Information
and Communications Technology for telecom operators and other industries.
Today
more than 40 percent of the world-s mobile traffic goes through Ericsson
networks and we support customers- networks servicing more than 2.5 billion
subscribers.

We operate in 180 countries and employ more than 100,000 people. Founded in
1876, Ericsson is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. In 2011 the company-s
net
sales were SEK 226.9 billion (USD 35.0 billion). Ericsson is listed on
NASDAQ
OMX, Stockholm and NASDAQ, New York stock exchanges.

10hotconsumertrends2013:

10hotconsumertrendreport2013:

Infographic:

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Source: Ericsson via Thomson Reuters ONE

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