Smartphone customers have huge appetite for data at Christmas

Customers tapping into What’sApp, Viber, kik & Instagram

Vodafone says more customers will be tapping into apps like What’sApp, Viber, kik and Instagram this Christmas to send messages using data instead of traditional SMS or MMS.

In a survey by Galaxy Research published today, two-thirds of all customers across all networks say they expected to use more data over the Christmas holiday season. This was even higher among Gen Ys, with almost 75 percent of younger people saying they expect their usage to go up.

Customers said the reasons they’d need more data over Christmas were to keep in touch with friends who are away, to upload more photos and download more videos, on top of using phone app and games more often for entertainment.

"We have seen an extraordinary increase in customers’ appetites for data over the past year and we expect this to jump again this Christmas and New Year’s period," said Chief Marketing Officer Kim Clarke.

"The majority of Australia is out there over the holidays spending time with friends and family, and with more free time, people have the time to share photos, watch videos and play games on their phones."

Customers increasingly using data to send text and photo messages

On Christmas Day in 2012, data usage increased by almost 65% on the previous year. By comparison, the number of SMSes sent was up by just 13% on Christmas Day in 2011, with a trend towards customers using smartphone apps to send messages.

A typical SMS costs about 20c to send, while a MMS (picture message) costs about 50c to send, although most Vodafone postpaid plans include Infinite (unlimited) standard national calls and texts.

By comparison a typical What’sApp message will use about 10KB of data to send a message containing just text, with 300KB-1MB data to send a photo.

"We actually don’t expect to see an increase in the number of SMSs sent this Christmas, for the first time in about 20 years," said Ms Clarke. "There’s a definite trend towards using apps instead, which use data."

"Instagram is also wildly popular at the moment. People are now sharing photos with many – via Instagram – rather than traditional MMS where you share a photo with one or two people," she said.

Vodafone offers double the data

Vodafone launched a double data offer last month which doubles the amount of included data for all month-to-month voice plans of $45 and above, and all 12-and 24-month voice plans of $60 or more – for the full 12- or 24-months of the plan. The offer runs to January 3 and is available to both new and existing customers (who choose to upgrade).

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