One in five Brits would pay their bills through a mobile phone if they had the choice. A quarter would transfer funds using a mobile phone while 36 per cent would be keen to check their balances via the device, according to research by digital banking provider, Intelligent Environments.

Men are more likely to access banking services through a mobile phone. Almost a quarter of males said they would be happy to pay their bills via a phone compared to 18 per cent of women. One in five men would also use a mobile phone to pay other people, such as family and friends, versus 14 per cent of women.

James Richards, director of mobile at Intelligent Environments, says: “Smartphones are increasingly becoming the norm in the UK and the Ofcom report shows how obsessed Brits happen to be with these new ‘must-haves’. Consumer demand for real-time access and information is going beyond just social networking and is now expected in all walks of life, including financial services. As consumers grow to be more comfortable with mobile advancements and purse strings tighten due to harsher economic conditions, it is no surprise that financial management has moved up Britons’ agendas and the number looking to access banking services via a mobile phone is on the rise.”

The research also breaks down Britons’ smartphone habits by operating system and provides an update on what smartphones say about their owners. Findings include: iPhone owners (the ‘adventurous’ ones) are the heaviest and most ‘addicted’ users with 43 per cent spending more than two hours a day on their phones versus 33 per cent of Android (the ‘unpredictable’ ones) and 31 per cent of Blackberry owners (‘sensible’). They are eager to access banking services via their phones: 69 per cent would check their balance, 46 per cent would pay their bills and 62 per cent wouldn't mind transferring funds.

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