Traditionally, Google mobile and non-mobile web surfing declines in the summer months as people go on vacation. (At least in North America). This year traffic on mobile devices utilizing Google has increased 35%. Mobile devices looking at Google Maps has increased as much as 50%. This appears to point to a trend, in which people use their mobile devices for information while taking time off from work. This shows how attached people are to such devices, when they are willing to take them along on vacation.
“I think this is sort of a sign that people are becoming savvier with their mobile devices, and that there are better devices” available for the Web, while away from computers, Mayer told reporters after a presentation to marketers at the Search Engine Strategies Conference in San Jose.
“The technology curve is catching up,” she told reporters after the presentation. “The phones are just better.”
The number of Google searches done on mobile devices are tiny compared to those done on PCs, but the summer increase in North America shows that people are realizing the usefulness of mobile search engines. Maps and other information can enhance the vacation experience. Getting lost or visiting uninteresting places may become a thing of the past.
This would be more useful if the seperated out the different services. SMS, WAP, and J2ME applications are very different beasts.
Comment by mathiastck — August 23, 2007 @ 4:29 pm
Google Maps on my mobile phone is indispensable even in the middle of NYC. Loved the app the moment I installed it.
Comment by Vlad — August 28, 2007 @ 4:33 am