New research has revealed Australians’ growing obsession with smartphones, with many using mobile internet-connected phones everywhere from business meetings to first dates and even to avoid awkward social encounters.

Telstra’s Smartphone Index shows 46 per cent of Australian mobile phone owners now have a smartphone – up from 31 per cent last year – and this is expected to grow to more than 60 per cent over the next 12 months.

The research also found smartphones are continuing to replace PCs as a preferred way to access some content with one in four smartphone surfers now visiting social networking sites more on their mobiles than they do on a computer and one in five searching the mobile web more on their phones than on a computer.

Telstra Consumer Executive Director Rebekah O'Flaherty, said “It’s clear smartphones are becoming an inseparable part of our lives, with Telstra’s research indicating they now help us to shop smarter, connect with our social networks and kill boredom during business meetings,” Ms O'Flaherty said.

According to Telstra’s research, four in ten smartphone web-surfers now access Facebook and other social networking sites every day – sharply up from 31 per cent in 2010.

Almost half of smartphone web-surfers have used their phones to find out more about a product or service before making a purchase. Almost a quarter have actually used their phones to price check while on the shop floor.

Four in ten say they have used their smartphone to avoid a social encounter – with 12 per cent admitting they were merely pretending to use their gadget.

Almost one in four smartphone surfers admit they’re killing boredom when they use their device during a business meeting

The research was conducted online by Nielsen on behalf of Telstra on a representative sample of 2,827 Australians aged over 16 from across Australia in both metropolitan and regional areas.