Around 40% of shopping-related Google searches now come from smartphones or tablets, a study by the search giant has found.

Looking into the habits of smartphone users, Google found that mobile and tablet search queries have grown by 138% since last year, reinforcing the shift from desktop to mobile being witnessed.

To illustrate how ingrained smartphones have become into users’ lives, Google looked at how the devices are used across the weekend in Australia, finding they’re in the average users hands as soon as they open their eyes, and one of the last things to leave them before the weekend ends.

On Saturday mornings, the devices are commonly used to check the weather (sometimes before getting out of bed), banking and booking travel. The afternoon and evening is the most common times for people to check sport scores, shopping and searching for food.

Australians check in on social networks throughout the weekend, but activity spikes at 10pm Saturday and 8pm Sunday. The impact of consumers having search in their pockets everywhere they go flows into face-to-face social settings also, with the phone often used to settle arguments on the spot, look up the definitions of new words, or cheat at the pub quiz.

Travel research is a favourite pastime for tablet owners, with 63% researching travel on their device.

Head of mobile ads at Google Australia, Jason Pellegrino, says mobile isn’t just a box to tick off. “It affects the way you plan your whole campaign,” he says. “This is what advertisers and marketers need to get right this year. They have to prioritise multi-screen and build digital-led content and campaigns that work across all screens.”