Smartphones gaining urban fans

Smartphone popularity among China's urban population is expected to rise to 47 percent this year from 33 percent in 2012, said an annual survey released Wednesday by US Internet giant Google Inc.

The survey found China's users to be the most interested in the use of smartphones for researching, comparing and purchasing goods and services, recording a ratio of 98 percent to top the global list, according to results from the survey conducted by Google in partnership with market research firm Ipsos.

Nearly 70 percent of Chinese smartphone users have used their phones to make a purchase, while the figure stands at 46 percent in the US, said the survey.