An Australian Interactive Media Industry Association (AIMIA) study has found Australians non-voice/text mobile use is growing rapidly.

The report, ‘2009 Australian Mobile Phone Lifestyle Index’, revealed 77% of respondents use their mobile phone for a purpose apart from texting and/or voice. The report suggests that once a service is trialled, it becomes integrated into normal usage:

• 61% of those that used MMS, used MMS at least once a month
• 62% of those that used email, used email at least once a month with almost 42% of these respondents using email daily
• 37% of those that used video calling, used video calling at least once a month, and
• 85% of those that used social networking, used social networking at least once a month, with 46% of these respondents using it at least once a day.

The study found market share remained consistent year-on-year for Nokia (47%) who is trailed by Sony at 12%, Samsung was third place at 11%. For the first time, Apple entered the report at 9% share.

Carrier satisfaction was high, said the report, with 90% of respondents satisfied with the service provided by their carrier. The cost of accessing data is the area in which most respondents were dissatisfied (51%), with just under a third saying their plan included a data allowance and only 43% had more than 50 megabytes allowance.

The report claims the Australian market is growing up in terms of knowledge and understanding of mobile phones and mobile services, with 63% of respondents revealing they had a 3G or 3.5G handset. Further to that point, 71% said they had used their mobile phone to access information and entertainment content at some point in the last 12 months. As for mobile ecommerce, 25% had used their handset for banking in the past year and 19% had used it to make payments in the last 12 months.

“Despite the global economic uncertainty of the past 12 months, the uptake of mobile services in Australia has not only survived but has grown in spite of it. Mobile phone services have now truly entrenched themselves as a commodity in the lives of many Australians,” said Dr Marisa Mackay, report author and director of m.Net.