Nearly half of Irish adults now rely more on their smartphones than they did pre-pandemic, according to new research.
amsung Ireland emphasized the increasingly flexible work habits of Irish workers.
The national survey, conducted by iReach, examines how the pandemic has changed the way we work, whether from the office, from home or a hybrid approach.
It also examined people’s attitudes regarding productivity, as well as their behavior during commuting.
When asked about the type of technology that people rely on the most, mobile technology came out on top with 68 per cent of Irish adults saying that smartphones and laptops are their most used devices for work, respectively. And 46% of respondents said they could not work without their mobile device most of the time.
Access to reliable Wi-Fi is also important, with 76 per cent of Irish people saying they rely on a stable connection more than ever before.
Paul Toland, head of MX sales at Samsung Ireland, said the research provided a good “temperature test” on the country’s acceptance and use of technology as a result of the pandemic.
“Mobile technologies such as smartphones and laptops have never been more critical as workers try to stay engaged when they are away from the desk or working from home,” he said.
The research found that one in nine Irish adults is more likely to work on the road since the pandemic.
In addition, 56 pct of the respondents want to either embrace a hybrid work model or work more flexibly. Only 5 of the 18- to 24-year-olds want to go back to the office full time, with 81 PCs wanting to embrace a hybrid model.
In terms of productivity, 65 pct of 18- to 24-year-olds said they are more productive when in the office, compared to 31 pct. from 25- to 44-year-olds.
Meanwhile, 34 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds admitted to checking their emails on their smartphones outside of work hours more frequently than pre-pandemics, making them more likely to do so than older cohorts.