Taiwan ranks No. 5 in the world for smartphone owners who access the Internet each day through their devices, according to a survey released Nov. 7 by Google Inc.
Google found that 64 percent of Taiwan respondents used their smartphones to access the Internet every day during a week, ahead of the U.S. and U.K. at 62 percent and 59 percent, respectively.
This finding ties Taiwan with Finland and mainland China among the 27 countries surveyed. Japan tops the list at 77 percent, followed by Sweden and the United Arab Emirates at 71 percent, and Denmark 61 percent.
The poll also revealed that 62 percent of Taiwan respondents use their smartphones to look for local information at least once a week, indicating that the devices play an important part of daily life.
Stanley Chen, general manager of Google Taiwan, said market research shows consumers spend an average 4.4 hours per day on devices such as computers, tablets, smartphones and televisions.
“Nearly 40 percent of people use smartphones,” Chen said. “This confirms the products’ value in shaping shopping patterns and new role as a starting point for online retail activities.”
The online survey, which was conducted in the third quarter by market research company Ipsos MediaCT, involved 1,000 18- to 64-year-olds in 27 countries. (JSM)
Write to Rachel Chan at ccchan@mofa.gov.tw