Almost 50% of Canada’s Internet Usage Now via Mobile Devices: comScore

New data from comScore says 49% of growing internet usage in Canada is now tied to mobile devices only, while we also rank second in the world at 33 hours spent online per month.

The growth is result of vast usage of messaging apps, social networks and mobile web searches via smartphones and tablets.

ComScore’s senior account manager Paul Rich tells The Canadian Press there are now 1.3 million monthly Canadians that access the web via mobile devices only instead of using a computer:

“Four per cent (of Canadian Internet users) look at online content in a month with (just) their mobile devices — their smartphone or tablet —and they don’t access anything on the desktop. That’s an emerging shift we’re seeing,”

Users that go online via both computers and mobile devices are at 49%, while 47% use computers only. Canadian women top men at 55% for using mobile devices only to access the internet, plus spend more time using apps and mobile web browsers.

ComScore estimated there are 18 million smartphone owes in Canada as of this June, growth of 12% compared to last year, to go with 7.8 million tablet owners, which saw a jump of 37% since June of last year.

Canada’s smartphone penetration was at 78% of those that had mobile phones, the second highest in the world out of countries researched, after Spain at 83%.

The data isn’t surprising given the explosion of smartphones and tablets. It’s so much easier and faster to Google something on your iPhone or iPad versus running to your laptop or desktop computer.