Media research firm eMarketer said that though uptake of mobile commerce has been somewhat slow, mobile web users have big ideas about what they plan to do on their handsets in the coming years.

Only about a fifth of respondents used their mobile phone to shop for and research entertainment, dining, digital content for the mobile phone and financial services activities, for example, and PC use was higher in every category. But even more respondents were interested in turning this e-commerce into m-commerce within 2012.

The media research firm said that some categories have a clear mobile connection, like digital content created for handsets. Others are appropriate for PC use but benefit from special capabilities on mobile. For example, dining-related activities are expected to become more popular on the m-commerce channel, said the research firm.

Already, mobile internet users conducting dining research and shopping activities most often use mobile location-based services when doing so, taking advantage of the GPS on mobile devices to find a place to eat while they are out and about.

Even travel-related activities may occur more on mobile devices than PCs, indicating users are now thinking beyond the research and purchase phase to their need to stay connected and informed while their trip is under way.

The clear trend is for information in every category to become more mobile in the near future as consumers test and learn how their handsets can be most useful, and as they get accustomed to researching and browsing on the go, adds the media research firm.

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