Breaking News (Where to get it?)

U.S. smartphone owners are increasingly turning to mobile to access breaking news over other media, including newspapers, TV and desktop web browsers, according to a recent study from mobile app developer Handmark.

In a survey of 300,000 mobile consumers, 88% of whom owned a device running one the five most popular smartphone operating systems, more than 30% said that mobile is the “most important medium” to access breaking news, narrowly followed by desktop web browsers (29%), television (21%) and newspapers (3%).

Just over half (56%) of respondents said they expect to use their mobile device to access news and information more frequently in the next year, while 42% said they plan to use it roughly the same amount.

Handmark CEO Paul Reddick attributes the rise of mobile’s importance for accessing breaking news to widespread habit formation among smartphone users.

“Breaking news happens all throughout the day, and what you have throughout the day is your mobile device,” he explains. “Once you get into the habit of using your mobile … you [can] be in a room with a TV and not turn it on, because you’re reading your news on your mobile device instead,” he says.

“The other element is, of course, that you don’t have to get off the couch. It’s convenient,” he adds.