Smartphones appear to confirm the popular saying – ‘one person’s meat is another’s poison‘ in the sense that while most smart-phone owners are attracted to the device because of the numerous apps that makes it possible to perform several tasks at any given time, a substantial amount of owners appear to be turned off by the same apps. According to a recent study, about seventy-one percent of smart-phone users only use their device to make calls, send text messages or check their Facebook profile. With an estimate of 11 million smart-phone devices in the UK alone, this figure is quite alarming considering the costs of obtaining one of these gadgets.
The study, which was conducted by Envirofone in a survey of 2,000 users, also found that a typical smart-phone user only exploits 10 percent of their phone’s functions. One of the major reason for this is because the latest smart-phone gadgets appear to have become more of a status symbol than anything else. For example, the study reveals that over half of smart phone users felt pressured to get the latest or most popular gadget, such as the iPhone4 or BlackBerry whether they found it useful or not. Perhaps that is the reason why a lot of parents are being pressurised by their children to purchase one of these devices as Christmas or birthday gifts, most of which will be lost, stolen or under-utilised.
Talking Point
Do you find smart-phones too complicated to use? Why did you buy one and what do you use it for?
4 Comments
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Henway
January 6, 2011 at 4:04 am
I think most people waste so much money on smartphones… All we need is to call someone, we dun really need to waste $100’s on fancy stuff like a camera (who really uses it anyway to take important photos?), or GPS…. we just need it to call someone, and a plain ole phone will do for most of us.
Admin
January 6, 2011 at 11:12 pm
Well said. I have been using a £5 mobile phone for over 3 years now (I know!) while some of my friends have changed handsets up to 8 times in the same period. 🙂
Britney
January 7, 2011 at 12:32 pm
I’ve had a Motorola Razor phone that I bought used for like $80 4 years ago and it still does everything I need to do. I find it amusing when people tease me about it while they’ve just blown nearly their paycheck on an obnoxious piece of junk that they ask me to help them figure out how to use. These same people wonder how I was able to pay off my condo so fast while they’re struggling to make their payments….probably because I don’t feel the need to fill my life full of things that are only of about 20% use to me (based on their true potential). My condo, on the other hand, is 100% useful…and it actually has gone up in value.
I think more people need to watch Fight Club he he 🙂
Computers Smart Phones Technology
January 10, 2011 at 6:03 am
I quite agree with this study that smartphone are under utilized by the owners. Most of the owners of the phone just brought for fun sake and show up.