Research conducted by Ofcom revealed that more and more consumers are opting to use the internet for shopping, with the UK having a higher percentage of usage than many other major countries.

Indeed, 79 per cent of UK internet users ordered goods or services online in 2010, while 89 per cent claimed to do so in 2011. This rise comes as smartphone ownership also shot up from 24 per cent to 46 per cent over the same time period.

This could be influenced by the fact that UK customers are paying lower prices for their communications services than their international counterparts.

Ed Richards, chief executive of Ofcom, commented: “Across the globe people are embracing e-commerce and social media with enthusiasm. Our research shows that the UK communications market is performing well with prices, the range of services and innovation standing up well against international benchmarks.”

Very few specifications of the device were confirmed, but it was announced that it will feature a 4.3 inch OLED screen and will be waterproof and dustproof. In addition, the handset shows an NFC logo, leading to speculation that the device will support Google Wale mobile payments.

The device will launch in the US, China and other areas of Asia later in the year but will initially be released in Europe.

Overall the firm is hoping to sell 1.5 million handsets in Europe over the course of the next year and is targeting 15 million smartphone sales worldwide by 2016. However, given that it has only been present in the Japanese market for the past six years, it could face a challenge in achieving these targets.

Toshinori Hoshi, head of Panasonic's mobile communications unit, commented: “We are well aware of our powerful competitors. However, market shares are changing dramatically and if we launch into this fast-changing market we believe we have a chance of a hit.”

Conducted by Ofcom, the survey found that 28 per cent of teenagers would miss their mobile phone most, while just 18 per cent would miss watching television. The internet was also a popular pasttime, with 25 per cent missing internet access most.

The research suggested that the prevalence of internet access on many of today's smartphones could be responsible for their popularity with young people. Indeed, 50 per cent of 12 to 15-year-olds reported accessing social networking sites weekly on their smartphone, compared with just 33 per cent in 2010.

Meanwhile, the survey found that only 31 per cent of parents of children with smartphones have taken steps to prevent them from accessing websites designed for people over the age of 18.

Ed Richards, chief executive at Ofcom, called for better understanding of the way in which young people accessed the internet.

"The research also shows that parents and children are increasingly aware of how to be safe when using the internet,” he observed.

Mr Richards added: “But risks do remain. Better understanding – amongst parents as well as their children – is key to helping people to manage content and communications, enabling them to enjoy the benefits of media use while protecting themselves from the potential risks."

The data showed that net sales totalled €8.98 billion, which is a 13 per cent drop year-on-year. It also made a group operating loss of €71 million.

However, the market is holding off judgement due to the impending release of the Windows Phone device. Nokia has previously delivered smartphones powered by Symbian and MeeGo operating systems, but later this month it will unveil its new Windows-powered devices, following a collaboration with Microsoft.

The firm's chief executive Stephen Elop commented, “I am encouraged by the progress we made during the third quarter, while noting that there are still many important steps ahead in our journey of transformation.”

He added that the firm will continue to focus on consistent progress in order to move through the transformation to Windows and deliver “superior results”.

Despite the relatively large drop, the firm saw just a three per cent dip in the number of devices it shipped year-on-year. And, the number of handsets was actually up 20 per cent of the amount shipped in the second quarter of 2011.

The study found that the share of non-computer traffic for the US in August stood at 6.8 per cent. Around two thirds of this came from mobile phones, with the remainder accounted for by tablet devices, such as the iPad.

It is thought the increased availability of WiFi is helping to promote the use of mobile devices for internet purposes. Indeed, the August figures shows that 37.2 per cent of US digital traffic coming from mobile phones occurred via a WiFi connection.

Mark Donovan, comScore senior vice-president of mobile, commented on the situation: “As these devices gain adoption, we have also seen the rise of the ‘digital omnivores’ – consumers who access content through several touchpoints during the course of their daily digital lives.”

He added: “In order to meet the needs of these consumers, advertisers and publishers must learn to navigate this new landscape so they develop cross-platform strategies to effectively engage their audiences.”

The research also found that one of the most popular uses for a tablet was to use the device to consume news, with 58 per cent of tablet owners looking at world, national or local updates on their tablets.

The Communications Market Report for 2011 revealed that 27 per cent of adults own a smartphone, along with 47 per cent of teenagers. However, the increasing level of ownership has resulted in a substantial rise in data usage as people become more accustomed to the applications and extras on offer with a smartphone.

In fact, the volume of data transferred over the UK’s mobile networks increased by 67 per cent over the course of 2010.

Dominic Baliszewski, an expert at Mobilechoices.co.uk, commented: “Smartphones are everywhere you look these days – on the train, on the street and (according to Ofcom's report) even in the bathroom! Their growing popularity is no surprise as they are incredibly useful, allowing you to stay in touch, listen to music and even watch TV whilst on the move.

"Smartphone users may get a richer experience from their phone compared to regular mobile users, but it is important to keep on top of mobile phone data usage limits, as this is where many people come unstuck and incur excess data penalties which can greatly increase their monthly bill.”

He added that the costs outside of an agreed download limit can mount up very quickly so anyone who is unsure of how much data they are using should be careful. He advised consumers to check the small print on the contract, use the phone to monitor data usage, use Wi-Fi wherever possible, shop around and turn off applications that might connect to the internet automatically.

This is according to the latest data from the MEF’s Global Consumer Survey. The group, which provides a global community for mobile content and commerce, found that 91 per cent of Brits have used their smartphones or mobile devices in this way. Indeed, the practice seems popular around the world, with no country dropping below 72 per cent participation in ecommerce in one form or another.

Andrew Bud, global chairman of MEF, commented: “This global research clearly demonstrates that consumers across the world are embracing mobile as a key access point for their content and commerce needs.

“It also illustrates that mobile is an essential platform for companies wishing to drive consumer engagement and monetise their goods, services and digital products," he added.

As a result of the increasing number of people looking to use their mobiles in this way, MEF has received a rise in the level of interest from people keen to take advantage of the opportunities available as consumers begin to really engage in the possibilities of mobile content.

The mobile phone network is offering customers the chance to receive unlimited internet access through their mobiles or smartphones for the duration of their plan if they sign up between today (1 July) and 30 September.

Plans must be worth a minimum of £25.54 a month and need to last for 24 months. However, customers can access the offer through T-Mobile’s high street stores, website or telesales options. Even current customers can benefit if they are eligible for an upgrade, or they can add an unlimited data bundle for £5.10 a month if they are already on an equivalent price plan.

The extra data access could prove useful for people who are using Push email on their phone, allowing users to download large emails without the need to worry about their usage allowance.

Tim Dowling, UK vice-president of propositions at T-Mobile, commented, “We know that more and more of our customers are using the internet on their phone to make the most out of their smartphone, so that’s why we’ve chosen to give them the opportunity to receive truly unlimited internet for the duration of their plan.

“So this summer, T-Mobile customers can now have the freedom to surf and email on the go without the need to monitor their usage.”

It’s creator, T-Mobile USA, highlighted the 4G Slide’s backside illuminated sensor, premium digital camera features and zero shutter lag. The illuminated sensor means that the camera will perform well in low-lighting conditions. The wide aperture lens and dual LED flash also boost the performance of this eight-megapixel device, while its SweepShot tool allows the user to capture panoramic pictures in a single motion.

Photo-fans can also enjoy the ClearShot HDR, which enables users to take distinct pictures in different light and shade conditions. The BurstShot function, meanwhile, could prove useful for sports fans, helping to capture a complete series of action shots.

Alongside the advanced camera features, the phone also boasts connection to the speedy HSPA+ network. This incorporates 190 markets and reaches over 200 million people, allowing for good data speeds and performance.

The myTouch 4G Slide runs the Android operating system, currently on the 2.3 ‘Gingerbread’ version. At its centre is the HTC Sense 3.0 A 1.2 GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, while users will also benefit from the slide-out QWERTY keyboard and Swype typing features.

Symantec said that it expects attacks on mobile platforms to rise this year. It warned that most malware attacks on mobile phones come in the form of trojan horse viruses disguised as legitimate applications.

It said that some developers are developing malicious applications from scratch, whilst others are inserting them into existing legitimate applications and distributing the malware via the app download market.

Symantec said that it found 163 mobile platform vulnerabilities in 2010 which could be exploited by hackers to completely or partially take over a mobile phone. It points out that this year attackers have already exploited flaws to take over thousands of devices.

Some of the ways smart phone users can avoid infected apps is to only download apps from reliable sources and to install mobile phone anti-virus software.

The report also warned about the growing threat of malware attacks carried out through social networks, with hackers using shortened links published on sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Millions of these links lured victims into malware and phishing attacks in 2010.