PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.-U.S. wireless subscribers are increasingly using their phones to send and receive e-mail, according to new figures from The NPD Group.
The market research firm said 6 percent of mobile consumers used personal e-mail on their phones in September, doubling the percentage NPD found in March. Men were slightly more likely than women to check personal e-mail on their phones-6 percent to 5 percent-and subscribers of Sprint Nextel Corp. were more inclined to use personal e-mail wirelessly than those of any other tier-one operator.
NPD’s figures contrast slightly with those from M:Metrics, which found nearly 9 percent of U.S. subscribers using personal, mobile e-mail services in September. Roughly 5 percent of all users accessed work e-mail from their phone in September, according to M:Metrics, and nearly 10 percent used mobile e-mail for either work or personal use.
“Carriers with the greatest focus on data and unlimited data plans definitely have an edge when it comes to enticing consumers to use e-mail,” said Neil Strother, research director for wireless devices at NPD. “As more phones offering e-mail functionality come to market, a greater carrier focus on marketing e-mail services to these consumers may move consumers to unlimited plans.”
