Taiwan has about 7.07 million smartphone or tablet computer users, which is about one-third of the population, according to the results of a survey released on Thursday.
The results of the poll, conducted by the Innovative Digi Tech-Enabled Applications and Services Institute and the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Department of Industrial Technology, showed that the number of smart--phone users increased from 2.97 million to 6.09 million as of the second quarter of this year compared with last year.
Meanwhile, the number of people using tablet computers in the same period rose to 2.32 million, or 10 percent of the population, the survey found.
Up to 56.8 percent and 24 percent of Taiwanese are expected to own smartphones and tablets respectively by 2015, the researchers said.
Respondents said that they most often used such devices when traveling, watching TV or shopping.
Almost 67 percent of those polled said they used their handsets to reference maps or book plane tickets, while 30.8 percent used them to look up information while watching TV. Another 26.5 percent used the devices to check prices or read different product reviews while shopping at retail outlets, the survey showed.
The survey concluded that the use of smart devices was growing rapidly nationwide, with the number of people now text messaging, using applications, logging on to Facebook or downloading discount coupons increasing dramatically.
The poll was conducted between June 25 and July 8, and received 2,503 valid samples. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 1.96 percentage points.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
The US Department of State on Monday reaffirmed that US policy on Taiwan remains unchanged, following US President Donald Trump’s use of the term “unification” while commenting on recent trade talks with China. Speaking at a wide-ranging press conference, Trump described what he viewed as progress in trade negotiations with China held in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend. “They’ve agreed to open China — fully open China, and I think it’s going to be fantastic for China. I think it’s going to be fantastic for us,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to be great for unification and peace.” Trump’s use of the
RSS