New York, Jan 10 (IANS): Nearly 80 percent of people worldwide now own a smartphone while almost 50 percent have a tablet, a report from market research firm GlobalWebIndex says.

Almost all smartphone owners are using their devices to access the internet, with 75 percent saying they have gone online via a mobile in the last month - a rise from 49 percent in 2011, the findings showed.

On an average, internet users now say they spend 1.85 hours online via a mobile each day, up from 1.24 hours in 2012.

"There is a slightly bigger gap between ownership and online access for tablets, though with just 37 percent going online via these devices. Nevertheless, they have seen the fastest rise of all since 2011 - having grown from eight percent," the report read.

For both devices, the figures peak among youngsters aged between 25-34.

Wearable devices are still highly niche.

Only nine percent people say they own a smartwatch while seven percent report having a smart wristband.

Gaming apps are the most popular in terms of engagement - but are the only app category where there are more people downloading (43 percent) rather than using them (41 percent) each month, the report said.