From the workplace to virtually anywhere on the go Latinos cannot seem to part with their smartphones.
They are not only using the internet more than any other group, they are surfing it with their smartphone instead of a laptop.
Tayde Aburto is CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce. He says Latino mobile usage is growing four times faster than the general population.
“It’s completely changing the way we conduct business, the way we connect with our families and friends,” Said Aburto.
He also says many opt for their mobile device so they can instantly access social networking sites to keep in touch with relatives abroad and to shop.
According to the Pew Research Center, 25 percent of iPhone owners in the U.S. are Latino.
It is a driving force that has many companies catering to that segment of the community, including here in San Diego.
Former real estate developer Alex Goldstein is taking a novel approach to mobile applications with Elwiri, which means to chit-chat in Spanish.
From food to fitness, the Tijuana native says Elwiri is the first lifestyle mobile app to be offered in Spanish.
"The way you say things, the way you receive things, the Hispanic consumer is a little different and so we wanted to really be able to offer something that was a little more tailored and not really done through a Google translate button,” said Goldstein, COO of Elwiri.
Elwiri is now available for free on Apple's App store and Google market.
The plan is to market it to businesses that can then purchase a monthly subscription for the app.
Elwiri will then credit that subscription 25 cents for every user generated by that business.
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