GPS favoured over Internet access on mobile device

Global positioning systems appear to be capturing significant consumer interest. According to a new national survey by Leo J. Shapiro and Associates (LJS), cellphone users cited GPS capability more frequently than Internet access as a desired feature on their mobile device.

The survey gathered data from phone interviews conducted in early December with a national sample of 450 Americans. Results of the survey indicated that among current cellphone owners, 24 percent would want their next cellphone to have GPS capabilities, while 19 percent would want Internet access.

The survey also found that the vast majority of GPS devices owners do not have GPS-enabled cellphones. Among those current GPS owners, 51 percent report having a portable GPS device, 39 percent have a car-based device and only 6 percent have a GPS-enabled cellphone.

A satellite-based system that provides reliable positioning, navigation and timing services, GPS technology is considered analogous to a global “Where’s Waldo?” game. A GPS-enabled device can pinpoint your location and can overlay your location with maps from a geographic information system (GIS) to create an interactive, instantaneous, personal guide.

These responses indicate that consumer interest in GPS-enabled cellphones will likely continue to rise as their utility moves beyond location-tracking to navigation and concierge services found in the latest dashboard and hand-held versions.

The results of this recent survey build on previous research conducted by LJS in early October where the firm found that today’s GIS-based mapping tools have achieved striking penetration into the everyday lives of Americans.

A majority, or 60 percent report recent use of a geographic website and 94 percent report that they have heard of GPS. New GPS-enabled personal navigation devices are outpacing past early-adopter growth and surging almost directly into mainstream usage, with nearly one-third (32%) reporting having used a GPS-enabled device.

"GPS is displaying a rapid and unusual pattern of diffusion," adds Owen Shapiro, Vice President of LJS, in a Thursday statement. "Our research is finding the purchase and use of GPS-enabled devices is not confined to segments of the population in which 'early adopters' are generally concentrated -- the young, highly educated or affluent.”

“Today's GPS-enabled devices are being widely adopted, including among the middle-aged and elderly. As this breakout unfolds, we expect intensifying marketplace competition among the incumbent and newcomer brands as they race for dominance in this explosively growing market," Shapiro continued.

The results of this survey give a strong indication into the features and capabilities that cellphones of tomorrow must have in order to appeal to the masses. What is interesting is that we have heard so much more about Internet access as a demanded feature on all cellphones of tomorrow, and yet this survey indicates that the focus should be on GPS and not Internet access. The real test will be how well the cellphones sell over the next year, based on the features that they provide.