Filipinos prefer cell phones over PCs

Filipino wireless subscribers would rather use their mobile phones first than resort to personal computers, and if they don't receive a text message or call for a long time they constantly check their handsets. This was one of the findings in the lifestyle survey commissioned by Siemens Mobile Phones throughout Asia Pacific.

The survey, which the German mobile phone manufacturer has been doing for four years now, was done to determine the cellular phone usage and habits of wireless subscribers.

Siemens Mobile's lifestyle survey, which was completed in December last year, was conducted by Synovate in China and by GFK Marketing Services for Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand.

Almost 3,000 interviews were conducted by the research houses and in the Philippines 308 people were interviewed about their mobile phone usage and habits. The Filipino males and females interviewed are within the 16 to 29 years of age and 30 to 60 years.

The survey showed that 77% of the Filipinos would constantly check their mobile phones when they don't get any text messages or calls for a long time. There are also the Indonesians with 66% of them exhibiting the same habit, followed by the Thais at 58%.

It is the Australians and the Taiwanese that are the most laid back when using their mobile phones.

But it is the Chinese who would pick up their handsets wherever they may be or whatever they are doing. The survey shows that 81% of the Chinese behave this way followed by 70% of the people in India, 66% of the Indonesians and 65% of the Filipinos.

"People in China are always in the loop, no matter where they are or what they're doing, their phone is right by their side," the lifestyle survey said.

When asked if the wireless subscribers would spend a day without either the mobile phone or the computer, they would turn down the computer.

"In Asia Pacific, 42% would rather go for their mobile phone than the PC," the survey said. The Filipinos are leading with 59% followed by the Chinese at 54%, Taiwanese 48% and Thais and Hong Kong nationals 45%," the survey said.

Filipinos just cannot leave their homes without their mobile phones in hand and so do more than half of the people in Asia Pacific. In the survey, it showed that 65% of the Filipinos would go back home to get their mobile phones. Also, 70% of the Chinese, 63% of the people in India, 62% of the Indonesians and 60% of the Malaysians would do the same thing.

Also, almost half of the wireless subscribers in Asia Pacific see their mobile phones as a technology extension of their personality. This is true for 65% of Indonesians, 62% of Filipinos, 55% of those in India and 52% of the Thais. -- Manolette P. Tabingo

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Filipinos prefer cell phones over PCs