Hispanics & Mobile Phones. [INSIGHT]

By Insight Tr3s

Young Hispanics are enthusiastic mobile users – and Tr3s has done research to understand their relationship to their phones. Taken from Tr3s’s new “Hispanic 18-34s Living the ‘Next Normal’” and the 2012 Maximo Report, here are the results of that analysis:

Smartphones top the list of what’s cool now to Hispanics 18 to 39. The three coolest things to Hispanics 18 to 29 are smartphones, in-person socializing, and Starbuck. At the top of the “cool list” for Hispanics in their thirties are smartphones, GPS devices for their cars, and sports. Smartphones are cool to non-Hispanics 18 to 29 – but they rank third, after video games and in-person socializing.

Contracts and family plans are both common among Hispanic households. When getting phones, Hispanics are making long-term commitments. About 7 in 10 Hispanic households have a contract, and approximately 6 in 10 have a family plan.

Hispanics are configuring their cell phone plans in diverse ways. Young Hispanic adults living with their parents tend to share plans with people with similar “phone values” – which can include co-workers and cousins. Their moms may share a family plan with younger kids in the household, while Dad may have a phone with no contract. Young Hispanic adults who have kids and live in their own households often carry over family plans with other people into their new household.

When making wireless choices, finding a good plan is very important to Hispanics — more than going with a particular provider or making a decision based on the selection of available phones. 40% of Hispanics 18 to 39 feel the plan is the most important factor when choosing wireless services – which means that getting a good deal that fits their particular situation is key. Non-Hispanic 18-29 are most likely to choose their provider first, with 42% agreeing the provider is the most important factor.

Paying their own cell phone bills confers adulthood for young Hispanic adults still living at home. Many consider this their first “adult” financial responsibility.

Hispanic young adults are using mobile phones as their personal computers. Many of them live with their families — so mobile devices offer more privacy than computers, which are often shared. About 1 in 5 use their phones most often to access the internet (a 157 index versus white non-Hispanics).

Apps and videos drive young Hispanic adults’ mobile experiences. They are 70% more likely than white non-Hispanics to feel that apps are very important to their mobile experiences and to report watching videos “always” or “often” on their phones.

Texting is young Hispanic adults’ preferred means of communication. However, they see face-to-face interaction as the most effective way to interact – and email as the least.

Source: Tr3s 2012 “Hispanic 18-34s Living The ‘Next Normal’”; Maximo Report 2012, NGLC, Motivo Insights, and Tr3s; Experian Simmons, Fall 2012 NHCS Adult Study 12-month