maywilson

An O2 survey finds that people with smartphones use them for many things, but not so much for talking. In fact, The Telegraph reports people in the UK spend only 12 minutes and 6 seconds talking on their phones each day, according to the survey. This is only slightly more than people spend texting, emailing, and reading books.

Most people, the survey says, spend more than two hours a day on their phone, however, they spend more of that time on the internet and engaging in social media than anything else. Listening to music and playing games are other favorite smartphone pass times.

David Johnson, O2 General Manager of Devices in the UK says, “Smartphones are now being used like a digital ‘Swiss Army Knife’, replacing possessions like watches, cameras, books, and even laptops. While we’re seeing no let-up in the number of calls customers make or the amount of time they spend speaking on their phones, their phone now plays a far greater role in all aspects of their lives.”

Interestingly, The Telegraph says folks here in the US have been making fewer phone calls every year for the past five years, where the length of calls has dropped to around 90 seconds.

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Dirty_Vinylpusher

I'm one of the few remaining who still has a "dumb phone".


I prefer to do my internet business sitting at a desk, with a proper keyboard and looking at a big screen.
My phone makes calls, sends texts and takes decent pictures (5mpx camera) if need be.


Obn a slightly different note but still along the same lines:

Friends of ours were visiting a few weeks back.
Their 4-year old son has his own iPad on which he mostly plays games.
He still can't go to the toilet by himself though....

I'm not convinced that it's good for such a young child to spend as much time as he does using a touchscreen.
RSI is a fact, and it'll be interesting to see how the younger generations will fare over time.

The_Shark

i love my dino-phone.

I don't need to bring a micro laptop with me everywhere I go.

people are getting farther and farther away from each other by communicating online, what is horrible is old friends turn to enemies over something you posted on facebook.

Foxy

I don't mind saying I'd feel disconnected now if you took away my smart phone. I use it at least the 2 hours a day mentioned in the op, if not double, and I hardly ever make or receive calls (2 or 3 a day). It really offers a tangible advantage to just about everything. I can research anything anywhere in a matter of minutes, I can look at imdb in the palm of my hand while browsing at the dvd rental, I can play games I do actually enjoy (Angry Birds/Battle Tanks/Word Warp/PuzzleMania at the moment) anywhere I have a spare minute, particularly on the toilet , I can send and receive my email and browse any site or watch any youtube video anywhere, any time. I can watch movies that reside on my pc from anywhere in the world that has a fast enough internet connection to support it. I can even remote control my PC in the event of absolute necessity (I don't currently have the app cos it costs a fortune, but I'll get it one day) from anywhere in the world via 3G, which would give me fast-ish access to anything within reason.

Having this power compared to not having it is a HUGE deal. This kind of accessibility to information will advance our evolution as a species in a dramatic way.

Foxy

Facebook is the devil.

narwalrus

My Feedback: (4)

I'm 14 y/o and...
Don't have a phone, dumb or smart.
Don't use Facebook, Twitter, or any other "Social Media" site. (Of course I don't really have anyone to talk to...)
Avoid both Microsoft, Google, and Apple (Use Linux)

Of course partially because of what I enjoy doing.. security. CompTIA Security+ Certified (Not necessarily offensive security..)

I would consider a Nokia N900 though.. but I wouldn't even use a plan for it. Just as a fun hackable device.

It annoys me to a certain extent. I see all these people of similar age walking and textexttexttext whatever. I'm almost as geeky as it gets... oh well

SyCo_VeNoM

dumb phone?
mine has a cord coming out of it going to a wall still.
Don't have one of those new fangled cord free phones, or any use for one.
I came up with a theory smarter the phone becomes the dumber the average user becomes. So far it seems I'm spot on.

Eman77

Of course we don't talk as much on the phone in the US. Our attention span has turned to pudding. In fact, I forget [THIS POST HAS BEEN TERMINATED FROM MEMORY]

proanti1

My Feedback: (2)

Am I the only one here with a higher end smart phone and Facebook?

Eman77

Nah - I've got an iPhone, recently acquired (phone contract finally came up). I never texted, or had a smartphone before this one. I really see what all the fuss is about now. It's extremely handy to have.

cumminspower5.9

My Feedback: (4)

Yea I used to have an Env flip phone, and the only "smart" phone I had was the Blackberry Storm. I haven't had any kind of cell phone in over 2 years since I ended my contract with Verizon, and it's nice to not have to worry about a phone. My wife got a smart phone (shes on her dads plan since its only costing him an extra $30, which I pay for) but she literally wanted it for internet and facebook, as well as texting and calling of course. she sits home all day next to a laptop. so why pay the $30 to use the internet on a 4" screen when you can use it on a big laptop? I just don't get it.

Eman77

I don't get it if you sit at home next to your laptop with it to surf the web.

I do get it if you don't have a laptop (me), and/or can, in an instant, show my kids pics of different countries flags so they can draw one, a Lancaster WW2 bomber, look up how to hold a fencing sword, and any other variety of random crap when I'm out and about with them, or just chatting in the kitchen, without having to boot up the PC and wait. I still don't text heavily, but now I am back in touch with those that ONLY seem to text, and never hit email or are much talkers on the phone (my brother, as an example). So suddenly I find myself a little bit more in touch with some people I wasn't before.


Did I survive without it? Sure! But it's really nice to have.

Foxy

iPhone user here as well. Ordered my Galaxy SIII should be here soon.

People who say you don't need it, hear me, please, you do. I completely understand why you believe you don't, but you will completely understand why I believe you do, once you got one.

Facebook is still the devil.

Eman77

What I don't get is the people who do stuff with their smartphones like post ads on RC forums for multi-hundred $$ vehicles, and are too lazy to post pics or even a decent description.

Am I really gonna fork over $450 to a guy on an internet forum for an ad like "4wd los for sale clean runs gr8. txt for pics thx"?

Yeah right.

Foxy

Smartphones amplify certain character traits. If you are studious, it helps you to be more so. If you are lazy, again it helps you to be more so.

Eman77

Hehe, maybe that's it.

I mean, I get that it's a pain to type a ton on a forum from a phone, so your ad won't be very long. But on the other hand, why would you expect anyone to take you seriously, and give you gobs of $$, if you're too damn lazy to post a pic or a reasonable description?

Sorry, that's a whole other topic for discussion. And I don't see it a ton here, but I see it a lot on another forum. It's bad.

HJJFFFAA

I wish I had a nice smartphone. I really want the S3 but I cannot afford it [:@]

Eman77

The key (for us) was waiting until our contract was up, and we chose the last gen iPhone (4, not 4S). Saved quite a bit of $$ on the phone there. We also chose a conservative plan, since I'm on wireless nearly all day, so won't use the network much. Stuff like that helped us to get a monthly cost that honestly wasn't a ton more than our previous plan with the dumb phones.

A brand new smartphone, with no contract "deal", is ridiculously expensive. We bought a few for testing at work - we got a Droid X when it was new for $500. $500! That's just wrong.

collector1231

My Feedback: (1)

I still like my Motorola Razr. Basic, and easy to use. Takes bad photos, and its about 6 years old, but i knwo my way around it.

Eman77

Was your avatar pic taken using it?

Har har har.

collector1231

My Feedback: (1)

Real funny. My avatar's getting old, might as well change it.

DESERT RATT

My Feedback: (7)

I think my Smart phone is great and it sucks.

I like information! We (whoever we may be) will be talking about something and I grab my phone to hit the net and read a little more on the subject. I'm a real Poker fanatic, I play live Poker just about anytime I get a chance, I have Poker on my phone, It's not for money but it helps keep my game sharp and it's something to do when I have to wait for whatever. It's about the only game I play on it. I can keep in touch with my family and friends easier. We don't have a Home phone why pay three phone bills. It's easier to keep in touch with my Grandson's. With Cody going to college and in his own first house with his Girl along with holding down a full time job we don't get much of a chance to sit down and enjoy each others company so we get in little conversations through text as much as we can. Ikeep all of my "to do list""To buy list" "reminders" all kinds of info. onmy cell. (Nothing Financial like credit card numbersetc.)

I would never be without a Cell, I've had them since the days of the Bag phone.
Now the"Sucks" part. I have been retired for going on three years, My wife still has 6 or 7 months to go and when she's at work she calls me all the time (we own our own business). She text's me continuously. I'll be in the middle of a project and my phone rings (or buzzes) and if I don't answer she'll do it again, or I may be out fishing and this damned thing rings. Sometimes I just have to tell her "Honey I love you but leave me the F*** alone"

Technology is a very wonderful thing but Sometimes????

eddieC

My Feedback: (2)

That's amazing, what lazy parents!  I had a nephew similarly 'babied'. I can still hear him saying, 'Mommy, I want boobie milk' at age 4. Disgusting!

It was funny.  I thought it was funny.  Didn't you think it was funny?       

Foxy

I thought it was funny.

Eman77

Obviously, I'm a real funny guy.