Multi-screen households emerging amid mobile growth

Mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, have sparked a wave of multi-screen households in Australia, as new research from Nielsen shows that families are now computing from a wide range of devices.

Industry news provider Marketing Magazine reports that the Nielsen study found that traditional desktop and laptop PCs are still the dominant platforms that Australians use to access the internet, but mobile use is growing quickly.

According to the study, 55 percent of Australian consumers now own web-enabled phones, up from 50 percent in 2010. Tablet ownership doubled from 2010 to 2011, increasing from 10 percent of Australians to 20 percent.

Citing figures from the study, the news provider notes that users spend more than four hours per week accessing the internet through mobile phones, a 20 percent increase from 2010. Due to lower penetration, internet access through tablets is still relatively low, though it has grown significantly.

A separate study from professional services firm Deloitte shows that though tablet adoption is not as widespread as that of other devices, some households are already making moves to purchase a second tablet. According to the study, 5 million second tablets will be sold in 2012.