Google: Three in four Brits have a smartphone

A Google report, five years in the making and with information from 625,000 people, shows just how much the Internet and smartphones changed our lives in half a decade.

According to the report, five years ago, one in three consumers in 40 markets had access to a smartphone. Fast forward to 2016, the number has gone up to a "staggering" 70 percent.

In the UK alone, three in four (75 percent) use a smartphone, compared to 51 percent, five years ago. The report says people use more devices "than ever," with 65 percent saying they access the Internet at least as often via smartphone as via computer. That’s almost double compared to 2012, when it stood at 35 percent.

Looking at the Internet as a tool in general, there has been significant movements, too. Now, 83 percent of people in the UK use it for personal purposes, with the proportion of daily Internet users increasing from 56 percent in 2012 to 68 percent where it stands today.

Finally, for 84 percent the Internet is the first place they look when they need information.

Even though the growth has been seen at all demographics, the smartphone has become essential for the younger consumers. For those under 25, the device is used to find information (88 percent), watch video (77 percent), interact with their friends (90 percent for social networks, 88 percent for email), and go shopping (28 percent buy things via smartphone, 46 percent educate themselves before making a purchase).

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