One in two smartphone owners use their phone to read news, a figure that's almost double that of this time last year.
New research from ComScore shows that the number of Europeans reading news on their smartphones has skyrocketed by 74% over the past year.
The boom follows the release of Facebook news apps by The Huffington Post and Guardian UK. Both also have separate news apps for smartphones.
Nick Barnett, CEO of app developer Mippin, said in a statement: "The internet made news available 24 seven. As we enter the post-PC era that Tim Cook mentioned recently, it’s only logical that we will want to stay up-to-date on our smartphones and tablets. With many of us discovering the latest news via social networking apps, news outlets have capitalised on the trend by launching mobile apps and websites.”
Comscore says that the UK leads Europe in consumption of news via smartphones. 15% of Brits read news on their smartphone, with most checking the news on their mobile every other day.
Barnett added: "This growth will continue to rocket this year, with even more of us turning to our phones for news. To make the most of this massive consumer appetite, news outlets must review the user experience they are offering and take action to make sure it’s up to scratch."
Mobile benchmark data for Europe also said that the UK leads Europe in using our phones to access social networks, using a web browser, listening to music and sending texts.
UK mobile phone owners are twice as likely to use their phone for gaming than people in France. They're almost twice as likely than Germans to use their phone for social networking.
David Shing, AOL’s “digital prophet” recently spoke out against apps, saying: “Apps are a rubbish concept.” Shing was speaking at the London Web Summit, where he said he preferred mobile websites.
Download The Huffington Post news app from the iTunes store.