Smartphones have overtaken laptop in Britain

Smartphones have overtaken laptops as the preferred way for Britons to go online, driven by increased take-up of the devices and a jump in superfast mobile broadband subscriptions, the British telecoms regulator said on Thursday.


A third of people said they turned to a smartphone first to browse the Internet, access social media or shop online, while 30 percent opened up a laptop, Ofcom said. A year ago, 40 percent preferred to use a laptop and 22 percent a smartphone.