Mobile subscribers in China download more applications and games to their handset than consumers in Western Europe, figures from Canalys show.
Just 22% of 2,560 Western European subscribers said they downloaded content in a survey in May, compared to 51% of 1,515 Chinese users quizzed in July.
Canalys explains the Chinese figure is higher because downloads aren’t restricted solely to smartphones, which are more prevalent in Western Europe, and due to the wide range of content available.
“There is a broad selection of Java content on portals such as Sina, Sohu and QQ (Tencent), as well as a good range of dedicated phone apps available from mobile operators and phone vendors, such as Apple, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and Yulong,” senior analyst T Y Lau said.
Weather, news, navigation and mapping applications are among the most popular in both markets, however Chinese users show a clear preference for e-books, with 68% of respondents stating they read books on their phone.
Social networking remains the most-used app in Western Europe, but Chinese subscribers are more willing to pay for access to their favorite sites, Canalys said.