CIBC Poll: Checked your smartphone recently? Canadian smartphone owners say they check their mobile device every 10 minutes on average

A new poll conducted by Harris/Decima for CIBC shows just how much Canadians are integrating their smartphone into their everyday activities, with Canadian smartphone owners saying they check or use their smartphone 6 times per hour on average – or about every 10 minutes.

The research comes as CIBC and TELUS announced the launch of mobile payments capabilities for a number of smartphones on the TELUS network, expanding the market for mobile payments in Canada and giving Canadians one more reason to grab their smartphone when they are in line at their favourite retailer. 

Key poll findings include:

Among Canadian smartphone owners:

• They check or use their phones 6 times an hour – or approximately every 10 minutes. For many smartphone owners, that means checking their smartphone over 100 times each day, on average.
• 82 percent say they check or use their phones at least once an hour
• Regionally, B.C. smartphone owners are among the most active in the country, using their phones an average of 9 times an hour (about every 7 minutes on average)
• Atlantic Canadians were among the lighter users of their smartphone, checking them less than 3 times per hour (or about every 20 minutes on average)

"Our poll captures what we've all seen when we're out shopping, at the movies, or picking up a coffee – everyone seems to have their smartphone in hand wherever they are," said Todd Roberts, Senior Vice President, Payments Strategy and Innovation, CIBC. "With mobile payments now coming to a growing number of mobile devices, Canadians can go from reading a text in the checkout line to paying for their purchases, all without ever reaching for their wallet."

Many Smartphone Owners couldn't handle a smartphone-free day

With 82 per cent of Canadians smartphone owners saying they use their phones at least once an hour, it is no surprise that so many would turn their morning commute around to get their phone if they accidently left the house without it. Another recent poll found that 41 per cent of smartphone owners said they would turn back to pick up their smartphone if they left it behind in the morning. Those findings were comparable to the percentage of smartphone owners who said they would go back for an essential item like their debit or credit cards, which came in at 44 per cent.

"With mobile devices entrenched in our everyday life, it's not surprising that so many Canadians wouldn't want to spend a day without their phone," said Mr. Roberts.

The CIBC Mobile Payment App is now available on mobile devices from two major wireless carriers in Canada, giving more Canadians the opportunity to pay with their smartphone and furthering CIBC's leadership position in mobile payments.

KEY POLL FINDINGS

Average of how many times per hour Canadians say they check or use their smartphones, by region:

Average of how many times per hour Canadians say they check or use their smartphones, by age: