A report released by Pew Research today indicates that 55% of smartphone owners use their phones to get location-based directions or recommendations, while geosocial services and location-tagging features are less popular.

More than a quarter (28%) of all American adults use mobile or social location-based services of some kind. This includes anyone who takes part in one or more of the following activities:

• 28% of cell owners use phones to get directions or recommendations based on their current location—that works out to 23% of all adults.
• A much smaller number (5% of cell owners, equaling 4% of all adults) use their phones to check in to locations using geosocial services such as Foursquare or Gowalla. Smartphone owners are especially likely to use these services on their phones.
• 9% of internet users set up social media services such as Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn so that their location is automatically included in their posts on those services. That works out to 7% of all adults.

Read the full report at: pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Location.aspx.

Posted via email from Andy Sternberg’s posterous | Comment »