FACT: There are more mobile phones than toothbrushes in the world

Did you know there are more mobiles in the world than toothbrushes? This is just one of the great (if slightly alarming) facts Blippar picked up at a recent Deloitte Digital event looking at today’s mobile consumer. Here are some other insights into mobile that we heard and loved:

There are 35 million smartphones in the UK

The first British mobile phone call was made in 1985, and since then we've been buying up Nokias, iPhones and Blackberrys quicker than Imelda Marcos can buy shoes. Now the county has 35m smartphones, meaning 55% of the population is always connected to the Internet – a similar figure to most other European countries.

You’re most addicted to your mobile before you hit 25

The youth market is most saturated when it comes to smartphones: 85% of 18-24-year-olds have one, and 50% of this lot checks their device within just five minutes of waking up every morning. (The average rate across all age groups is 30%.) People with iPhones check their devices earlier and more frequently than those with Androids.

We’re a bit 'meh' about smart wristbands

Ebay is already full of wearable fitness trackers, invariably considered something of a one-trick pony, and the smartwatch market isn’t expected to rise much above the 1% penetration it has today. Wearables worn over the eyes – such as Google Glass and Oculus Rift – are where the industry is really going to take off. Watch that space insted.

Parents are using tablets to entertain kids

Smaller, cheaper tablets have seen a great increase in sales among one particular market – and one that wasn’t ever predicted by developers: parents with young children. Portable, simple to use and easy to control what they show, these are increasingly being used as a tool to entertain and even educate youngsters. Most tablets sold are Wi-Fi only; we don’t want to pay for two Internet subscriptions.

British people LOVE data, especially if it’s super-duper fast

Some 14 months ago 4G didn’t even exist, but there is already an 8% adoption rate in the UK. People with smartphones are hungry for data and speed, both of which make it easier to do their two favorites things: send photos and watch videos.

We adore gaming, but get bored very, very quickly

Gaming is the most popular entertainment activity on smartphones, but these require regular updates if they’re going to capture our attention and capture our loyalty. As with YouTube videos, it's the first 15 seconds in which this can be done most effectively, so make these count.

We’re sick of downloading apps

Cluttered phone = cluttered mind. We want nice clean mobile home screens, not ones that look like a landfill site. We’re downloading fewer branded apps, and making room for more app platforms, such as Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and… Blippar. (Phew.)