Close to 90% of China's 668mn Internet users get online via smartphone

China’s Internet users rose to 668 million as of the end of June, pushing internet penetration for the country to 48.8% as the proportion of those using smartphones rose to 88.9%, South China Morning Post reported, citing a new report by the official China Internet Network Information Center. The number of people using desktops and laptops to go online fell to 42.5% and 68.4%, respectively. Tablets fell to 33.7%, and are expected to drop further as large-screen smartphones proliferate. Mobile online services saw corresponding gains, as mobile payment users grew to 276 million and mobile e-commerce users hit 270 million.