Mobile internet more popular in China than in US : Nielsen

According to the Mobile Insights Report, 38 per cent of Chinese mobile subscribers use their handsets to visit the internet, compared to 27 per cent in the United States.

"China's growth over the last decade has been extraordinary and shows few signs of abating any time soon. As such, it's only natural that Chinese consumers would wholeheartedly adopt technology and products that enable them to be productive – and stay connected – on the move," said Shan Phillips, vice president at Nielsen Greater China.

There are 755 million cell phone subscribers in China, or more than half of the population. That makes China the world's largest mobile device market. Nielsen says the split between the sexes was almost equal. Women comprised 49 per cent of users while men made up 51 per cent. Adults aged 25 to 34 and 35 to 44 made up the largest percentage of users (23 per cent each).

The majority of consumers (54 per cent) used their devices for advanced data such as e-mail, gaming and music, while 36 per cent used their phones for text/ SMS and voice only (another 10 per cent said they used their phones for calls only).

Both pre- and post-paid subscribers used their devices for text/ SMS (87 per cent and 80 per cent respectively). Games were the second most popular followed by mobile internet and are also more prevalent among post-paid subscribers. Video services such as mobile TV, messaging and video calling were used by only a small percentage of users, largely due to network speed issues. Once 3G expands, it is likely that these services will gain in popularity.

Nielsen's Mobile Insights Report on China is based on face-to-face surveys with 4,946 consumers age 15 and up in 19 cities around China. The interviews were conducted in March 2010.