Onto the constantly evolving world of mobile phones now... Urbanite mobile users are much more likely than average to have signed up to a monthly contract plan (78% compared to the UK average of 40%*) This probably stems from the fact that they rely on their phones for a lot more than just calling and texting. In fact 7 in 10 even go to the extreme of saying they would struggle to live without their phones. They over-index* on using all mobile phone features, including mobile internet, email, video calling and GPS mapping. Moreover, 73% of Urbanites browse the internet on their mobile phones, which helps them to be an interactive and responsive audience.

‘Best functionality’ is the number one thing Urbanites looked for when choosing their current mobile phone. In order to get the most advanced phones thrown into the mix, Urbanites tend to purchase their handset at the same time as their contract. Roughly 1 in 10 go for sim-only contract deals, although the figure is much higher for PAYG customers. Their extended mobile usage and their love of shiny new handsets comes at a price however, their average monthly phone spend is much higher than average at £26, compared to a UK average of £18*.

O2 is the mobile phone network Urbanites are most likely to be with, although Orange and Vodafone are hot on their heels. Despite 69% of Urbanites claiming to be happy with their current network provider, a whopping 6 in 10 say they’re open to switching provider if they’re offered a good enough deal. This equates to nearly 800,000 Urbanites, so get dangling your carrot on a stick! Talking of which, you’ll have to get in there quick with your advertising messages - it takes almost half of Urbanites only a week or less between deciding to switch and actually doing it.

Nokia is the handset brand you’re most likely to see Urbanites with. Apple has greatly increased its share of the Urbanite market over the last year however, with 1 in 5 Urbanites now the proud owners of an iPhone (fieldwork largely completed prior to the iPhone 4 release) and almost half of Urbanites are planning on getting an iPhone the next time they change their handset. In total, over half (53%) of Urbanites own a smartphone (phones which offer more advanced computing ability and connectivity than basic phones) and Urbanites are twice as likely as the UK average* to have a BlackBerry or iPhone. Smart phone users have purchased 7 apps on average, though the average is boosted by iPhone users, who have purchased an average of 14 apps each. Facebook, Google maps and Sky (news/sport) are the apps most favoured by Urbanites. They also have plenty of their own ideas for new apps… Here are just a few of our favourites:

“A reflective Mirror.”

“An app that tells you where you put your keys after a heavy night before.”

“A gig guide to every venue in a local city/radius.”

“I want there to be a wireless plug device so I can turn mains appliances on and off using the iPhone. For example, you could boil the kettle as you walk up the street so it was boiled when you get home.”

“Tesco/ Nectar card barcodes to replace your cards.”

“I've been searching for a voice recorder that will record my calls for me. I do recorded telephone interviews a lot and would love to not need to be at my desk to do them.”

“Work outlook - answer work emails.”

“More price comparison apps.”

“WeightWatchers points calculator/ plan manager (I would pay for that!)”

“These may already exist, but either an app to find nearby locations (like on a Satnav) such as cash points or petrol stations, or an app. that will calculate how many units of alcohol you've drunk if you enter the amount and type you've had.”

Android is a mobile phone platform for smart phones. Read more about it here. 72% of Urbanites had heard of Android phones before we told them about them. 7% already own one and a further 7% plan to get one. Most Urbanites like the sound of phones on the Android platform, with over half of those clued up on Android agreeing that ‘they’re cool’ and 61% agreeing they offer good functionality. Many Urbanites felt that there isn’t enough information available on Android phones however. Therefore Android as a platform must be promoted and explained further, in order to convince some Urbanites of the merits of Android over the hugely popular iPhone.

The jury’s still out on the much contested Apple iPad…2% of Urbanites own one and a further 17% definitely want one, but 29% haven’t decided yet, they might want one, they might not. This indecision could be due to the iPad creating a new space in the market. Consequently there’s some debate over what role this product will play in the current media landscape and peoples’ lifestyles.

Urbanites would struggle to live without their mobile phones   Onto the constantly evolving world of mobile phones now... Urbanite mobile users are much more likely than average to have signed up to a monthly contract plan (78% compared to the UK average of 40%*) This probably stems from the fact that they rely on their phones for a lot more than just calling and texting. In fact 7 in 10 even go to the extreme of saying they would struggle to live without their phones. They over-index* on using all mobile phone features, including mobile internet, email, video calling and GPS mapping. Moreover, 73% of Urbanites browse the internet on their mobile phones, which helps them to be an interactive and responsive audience. ‘Best functionality’ is the number one thing Urbanites looked for when choosing their current mobile phone. In order to get the most advanced phones thrown into the mix, Urbanites tend to purchase their handset at the same time as their contract. Roughly 1 in 10 go for sim-only contract deals, although the figure is much higher for PAYG customers. Their extended mobile usage and their love of shiny new handsets comes at a price however, their average monthly phone spend is much higher than average at £26, compared to a UK average of £18*. O2 is the mobile phone network Urbanites are most likely to be with, although Orange and Vodafone are hot on their heels. Despite 69% of Urbanites claiming to be happy with their current network provider, a whopping 6 in 10 say they’re open to switching provider if they’re offered a good enough deal. This equates to nearly 800,000 Urbanites, so get dangling your carrot on a stick! Talking of which, you’ll have to get in there quick with your advertising messages - it takes almost half of Urbanites only a week or less between deciding to switch and actually doing it. Nokia is the handset brand you’re most likely to see Urbanites with. Apple has greatly increased its share of the Urbanite market over the last year however, with 1 in 5 Urbanites now the proud owners of an iPhone (fieldwork largely completed prior to the iPhone 4 release) and almost half of Urbanites are planning on getting an iPhone the next time they change their handset. In total, over half (53%) of Urbanites own a smartphone (phones which offer more advanced computing ability and connectivity than basic phones) and Urbanites are twice as likely as the UK average* to have a BlackBerry or iPhone. Smart phone users have purchased 7 apps on average, though the average is boosted by iPhone users, who have purchased an average of 14 apps each. Facebook, Google maps and Sky (news/sport) are the apps most favoured by Urbanites. They also have plenty of their own ideas for new apps… Here are just a few of our favourites: “A reflective Mirror.” “An app that tells you where you put your keys after a heavy night before.” “A gig guide to every venue in a local city/radius.” “I want there to be a wireless plug device so I can turn mains appliances on and off using the iPhone. For example, you could boil the kettle as you walk up the street so it was boiled when you get home.” “Tesco/ Nectar card barcodes to replace your cards.” “I've been searching for a voice recorder that will record my calls for me. I do recorded telephone interviews a lot and would love to not need to be at my desk to do them.” “Work outlook - answer work emails.” “More price comparison apps.” “WeightWatchers points calculator/ plan manager (I would pay for that!)” “These may already exist, but either an app to find nearby locations (like on a Satnav) such as cash points or petrol stations, or an app. that will calculate how many units of alcohol you've drunk if you enter the amount and type you've had.” Android is a mobile phone platform for smart phones. Read more about it here. 72% of Urbanites had heard of Android phones before we told them about them. 7% already own one and a further 7% plan to get one. Most Urbanites like the sound of phones on the Android platform, with over half of those clued up on Android agreeing that ‘they’re cool’ and 61% agreeing they offer good functionality. Many Urbanites felt that there isn’t enough information available on Android phones however. Therefore Android as a platform must be promoted and explained further, in order to convince some Urbanites of the merits of Android over the hugely popular iPhone. The jury’s still out on the much contested Apple iPad…2% of Urbanites own one and a further 17% definitely want one, but 29% haven’t decided yet, they might want one, they might not. This indecision could be due to the iPad creating a new space in the market. Consequently there’s some debate over what role this product will play in the current media landscape and peoples’ lifestyles. What would you do to keep your job? In order to establish how Britain’s huge debt could be reduced, an emergency budget review took place in June following appointment of the new coalition government. We asked Urbanites whether public sector workers should take a pay cut to help pay for Britain’s debt and 43% thought that they should. During the recession it wasn’t uncommon for employees to take a pay cut to prevent redundancies. We’re officially out of the recession now, though some industries are still suffering. Half of Urbanites said they would be willing to take a pay cut themselves in order to keep their job, although most were only willing to accept a cut of less than 10%.   Charitable giving 83% of Urbanites have donated money to charity in the last 12 months – 29% by direct debit, 56% via one-off donations and 24% through other means. 86% of those with direct debits to charities donate monthly and the average direct debit amount is £18, which is higher for men (£22 versus £13 for women.)

Skiing/snowboarding

8% of Urbanites have been on a ski/snowboard holiday in the last 12 months, and 31% have ever been on one.

France is where Urbanites are most likely to be shoop-shooping…is it down to the mountains, the food, the vicinity to the UK or the good looking instructors?!

Who knows, but they can’t get enough!

Four clients put their questions to Urbanites in the third survey of the year…

Centrepoint – Investigating Urbanites’ contribution to charities and their preferred method of donating

McCain – Examining attitudes to frozen oven chips and determining consumption levels.

BA – Determining how many Urbanites have been on ski/snowboard holidays and understanding the planning process

Hyundai – Investigating the number of Urbanites who are aware of Hyundai and its sponsorship of the World Cup

[Read more] If you’d like to get the Urbanite opinion (for free!) speak to your Metro rep or the Urban Life team. Contact details are at the bottom of this email.

There’s no doubt about it, camping is not for everyone. We asked Urbanites whether they’re a camping fan or whether they’d rather eat their own hand than set foot inside a campsite. It was a pretty even split but overall there was more love than hate for camping. Here’s a few of their anecdotes…

Camping lovers...

Camping haters...