Orange announces "Mobile Exposure 2010", an annual independent study by TNS that measures how mobile media users are engaging with mobile content and the mobile internet. This year's research, covering mobile media users in the UK, France, Spain and Poland, illustrates the dominance of the browser as people increasingly seek a PC-like experience on their phone. The study also identifies how, when, why and where European mobile media users access content, information and entertainment, giving brands exclusive intelligence from Orange across a range of sectors to help them better engage with their audiences.

The browser versus application battle

Mobile browser use is most prominent in the UK, with 7 out of 10 mobile media users choosing to find information and content in this way, instead of using mobile apps. This is similar in France, where 68 per cent of users favour the browser over 60 per cent who prefer apps. For certain content such as news, 73per cent of female mobile media users in the UK prefer to access the web via browser rather than an application (65per cent for men). In less mature mobile media markets, there is, however, more 'App-etite'; browser versus application usage in Spain is equal at 42 per cent, while only Polish users favour mobile apps (45 per cent) over the mobile internet (39 percent).

58 per cent of UK users want to find the same things on their mobile as on a PC, as do 55per cent of French users, 58 per cent in Spain and 72 per cent in Poland, suggesting browser popularity is because of its growing ability to offer a familiar Internet experience on mobile. Just as free content on the Internet impacted established media industries, it is convenience of use that most impacts mobile media adoption. What European users most like about mobile media is the quality of navigation (56 per cent), time-saving (51 per cent) and quick access (26 per cent).