This latest research also confirms the ongoing fashion for mobile phones among trendy teenagers. Four out of ten mobile presents were known to have gone to the under 17s. Perhaps more surprisingly, 23% of phones went to kids aged 11-14, whilst 15% went to those aged 15-16 years.

Colin Strong, director of NOP Business, believes that the fashion dynamic is very important to sales of all types of mobile phones. "As many retailers have recently found, mobile handsets are increasingly a fashion item. WAP technology may be part of a more fashionable handset but it does not mean that it will be used. It will be a real challenge for mobile players to offer tailored, relevant services that will encourage these people to start using WAP."

The survey was conducted on a sample of 1,001 adults aged 15 and over in Great Britain between 5 and 7 January 2001.