Stylish smartphones are in hot demand, but are
Canadians practicing smart phone use? According to a new Palm Canada/Leger
Marketing study, while almost half (45 per cent) of Canadian mobile phone
users have upgraded or bought a new phone in the last year, etiquette may be
taking a back seat when it comes to public cell-phone use.
In the midst of a possible cell-phone ban for new Ontario drivers being
considered by lawmakers, two-thirds (67 per cent) of cell-phone users across
Canada admit to talking on their cell while driving — and a full 75 per cent
of those who drive and dial confess that talking on the phone affects how
safely they drive.
The survey also revealed that the majority of cell-phone users (91 per
cent) have been annoyed by other cellular users in public places, and half
(49 per cent) have been annoyed by cab drivers chatting on their mobile.
Somewhat ironically, nearly half (47 per cent) also admit to having their
cell-phone ring in an inappropriate place, such as a movie theatre, during a
meeting, or at a library.
Cell-phone personalization is also popular, as one-third (34 per cent) of
users have added a unique ring tone, and one in four (25 per cent) says they
take or store digital pictures on their phone. Cell-phone users who are
34 years and younger are more likely to personalize their cell phones than
older users (ring tones: 49 per cent vs. 28 per cent; pictures: 43 per cent
vs. 18 per cent; wallpaper: 23 per cent vs. eight per cent; downloaded music:
15 per cent vs. four per cent).
“It’s clear that there’s an opportunity for Canadians to take advantage
of cool, customizable features and the latest call-management functionality
found in the new Treo 700wx smartphone,” said Janice Keay, director of
Marketing, Palm Canada. “It’s easy to manage calls at the touch of a button,
whether it’s choosing how to handle an active call, ignoring an incoming call,
or accessing voice mail. Taking advantage of smart, user-friendly features
like photo speed-dialing or even voice-activated hands-free dialing has never
been simpler.”
Palm Treo smartphones fully support hands-free use. They are
equipped with speaker phones and are compatible with a number of hands-free
accessories, including headsets, earpieces and car kits offered by leading
automobile manufacturers. Palm has recently stated its support of legislation
in California requiring drivers that use a cell-phone while driving to use a
hands-free device, believing that it responsibly addresses evidence that
handheld cell-phone use increases the risk of accidents.
Additional Survey Highlights
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Cell-phone Faux Pas
– One in five (19 per cent) admits to drinking and dialing (making a
spur-of-the-moment call after consuming alcohol), and another four
per cent have broken up with someone over their cell-phones.
– Four in five cell-phone users (83 per cent) say that phones ringing
in inappropriate places, such as a movie theatre, during a meeting,
or at a library, are a serious faux pas. Seven in 10 cell-phone users
(70 per cent) say that driving and dialing is the biggest blunder.
These responses were followed by texting in a meeting (58 per cent)
and using a cell in a public place (52 per cent).
Forget Me Not
– Almost three in five (56 per cent) use their cell-phones to fill in
free time.
– One in 10 cell-phone users would rather lose their mother-in-law than
their cell-phone, while five per cent of respondents would rather
give up their right to vote than their cell-phone.
– Another three per cent of cell-phone users would rather give up their
pet than their phone, followed by two per cent who would be willing
to give up their driver’s license or their current job in order to
keep their phone.
Cell-phone Use and Other Electronics
– Almost half (45 per cent) of Canadians who have cell-phones upgraded
or bought a new cell-phone in the last year.
– Cell-phone users personalize their phones with unique ring tones
(34 per cent) and pictures (25 per cent).
– One in five cell-phone users (17 per cent) use their cell more than
their landline, and another seven per cent use their cell-phones
exclusively.
– Seven in 10 cell-phone users (70 per cent) also own a digital camera,
followed by laptops (36 per cent), MP3 players (29 per cent), iPods
(16 per cent) and Palm PDAs (10 per cent), and BlackBerry devices
(four per cent). Seventeen per cent do not own any other portable
electronic devices.
