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4 in 10 smartphone users stream TV programmes on the move.
Research has shown that millions of UK mobile users watch TV on their smartphone or tablet. Web-enabled handsets are becoming increasingly popular, and devices such as the Apple iPhone and iPad are transforming Britain's viewing habits.
According to a survey by the TV Licensing body, at the end of 2011 almost 40% of households had streamed a television programme on a smartphone, while 14% had used a tablet.
Recent statistics from the UK’s telecoms regulator Ofcom suggest that sales of mobile technologies, including smartphones and tablets, are accelerating all the time. In fact, ownership of smartphones in the UK almost doubled - from 24% to 46% - between February 2010 and August 2011.
Ian Logie Baird, grandson of TV inventor John Logie Baird, and curator at Bradford's National Media Museum, said: “We can easily control how and when we watch TV by creating our own TV schedules, from the abundance of content available or by tuning in on-the-go via a mobile device. We have more choice than ever before.
“When my grandfather introduced the world's first practical television system in 1926, few imagined that TV would become the powerful omnipresent medium it is today.”
The study also revealed that 37% of Brits intend to invest in new technology this year. While fewer than one in 10 are planning to purchase a bigger TV set, more than 20% expect to buy a smartphone or tablet by the end of 2012.
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