51% of US mobile users will second screen, compared to just 10% of Chinese users

"The new study compares consumer smartphone usage habits and revealed that US smartphone owners are much more likely to consume other media with their mobile devices in hand. While watching TV, 51 per cent of US smartphone users participate in internet communications compared to 10 per cent in China. Only nine per cent of Chinese smartphone users will simultaneously read social media, compared to 38 per cent in the US. Thirty-four per cent of US users compared to eight per cent in China said they conducted a local search while watching TV."

"The research also illustrated that Americans have a greater dependency on their smartphones as devices that they would "never leave home without" (69 per cent) in comparison to six per cent for their Chinese counterparts. Approximately one third (34 per cent) of Americans said that their smartphone is the "first thing I reach for when I wake up," as opposed to seven per cent of Chinese smartphone owners."

""China has built some of the world's most popular and powerful digital brands, including companies like Sina.com, Baidu, Sohu and RenRen," said Randall Rothenberg, president and CEO, IAB. "This study will help global marketers understand what these Chinese companies already understand - that the mobile consumer in China is a valuable but complicated force.""

US smartphone owners are far more likely to use phones while consuming other media than Chinese users. During TV viewing, 51% of US smartphone users engage in internet communications versus 10% in China; 38% of US users read social media versus 9% in China. Thirty-four percent of US users perform local searches while watching TV compared with 8% in China. Similar disparities appear in reading print media. Americans show greater device dependence: 69% say they would "never leave home without" their smartphone, versus 6% of Chinese. Approximately 34% of Americans reach for their smartphone first thing upon waking, compared with 7% of Chinese. China hosts major digital brands including Sina.com, Baidu, Sohu and RenRen, and Chinese mobile consumers present a valuable but complicated market dynamic.

Read at The Drum