ComScore reports usage up by 82 per cent in the US and 49 per cent in Europe.
Market tracker comScore says use of mobile maps is gaining in popularity in Europe and the US.In the US, usage increased by 82 per cent in the three months to May 2008, with eight per cent of mobile subscribers using the service, mostly from an Apple iPhone.
In Europe growth has been around the 49 per cent mark with three per cent of mobile users now accessing maps through their device – usually either a Nokia N95 or N70
The majority of mobile customers using the maps are looking for driving directions and are doing so through the web browser. Less than a third are using a downloaded application despite the benefits of using them on lower-end phones.
ComScore says that while mobile access to maps has surged, access through desktop PCs has shown more modest gains in the US and Europe, except in the UK, where desktop access has actually dropped by four per cent in response to a 72 per cent increase in mobile access.
Article continues belowAdvertisement
“The mobile phone as a personal navigation device makes tremendous sense,” said Mark Donovan, a senior analyst at comScore. “With the influx of devices, such as iPhone with GPS, entering the market, Nokia’s purchase of NAVTEQ and the growing popularity of downloadable navigation applications, you don’t need a map to see where this sector is going.”
