Best Buy-sponsored survey shows that Americans want smartphones even though they don't understand them
By Tim Stevens 
posted July 1st 2009 6:57AM
posted July 1st 2009 6:57AM
posted July 1st 2009 6:57AM
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Um... yeah bestbuy you just figured out Humans want things they don't understand... doesn't take a genius to figure that out.
The number one thing that humans desire but have no understanding of? Survey results.
j_g_puff: Women.
that's because best buy likes to sell people things they don't need.
No one 'needs' anything Best Buy sells - notwithstanding overpriced-overpowerful pda/phones.
I know people that have purchased a Black Berry then never use the browser or set up email correctly. They pretty much use it as a dumb phone for texting but still pay the $30 more per month on data. blows my mind.
That explains the large market share in the US of hypePhones
http://pets.onas.ru/dog_mobile_phone.jpg
jus kidding
I vote "cutest gadget user ever" :)
why it's news on Engadget? if people understand and buy, half of the companies might fold up..
Isn't it funny when there is some what negative article about smartphones and that the people who buy them buy them because of "oh shiny" factor, and engadget uses palm pre picture... rather than you know... what best describes this phenomena... the IPHONE!?
I think you mean the Black Berry WiMo phones. So many people have purchased a Black Berry only to use them for texting. They never set up the email account properly and rarely use the browser.
At least the iPhone is easy enough to use that a large majority of users take advantage of the browser and stock apps like weather and maps.
That's because Apple is a huge advertiser on ye ol' engadget site, and it's not good business to use a big source of money as an illustration for how mist smart phone users just buy them to look cool and that's pretty much the only reason.
I run into iPhone owners that want to know how I got my iPhone to do such things. Then when I start to explain they almost say the exact same thing, "wait you can hook it up to the computer?" So yeah I completely see where this survey is coming from.
"Those feelings of confusion and ire doesn't stop..."
Umm, I believe this should be "don't". I'm not usually a grammar nazi but that just really grinds my gears.
Smartphones nowadays really aren't that difficult to understand anymore. I don't think it's that people don't understand smartphones, it's more that they don't realize yet that smartphones don't require users to be smart anymore.
I remember how setting up email on my smartphone three years ago was such a pain. Now it's as easy as signing on the any webmail service in a web browser.
I support smartphones, and you have NO IDEA how many calls we get a day for people who just need to set up their email and cant figure it out. blackberries, winmo phones, you name it.. nothing is simple enough.
I blame the Palm Pre for this phenomena. That phone sells like gangbusters but no one knows how to use it.
This has been going on FAR BEFORE Palm Pre and iPhone...
If you ever seen an average non-business WinMo or Blackberry user, they are clueless how to use their phone other than texting.
Are you sure its the Pre? and not the iphone? Hell it has been goin on before either. I remember this stuff happening when the slimline dumbphones came out... everyone wanted the RAZR when it came out. Now its the iphone... the pre... the blackberry... Phones are a part of fashion these days, look at people in Japan, the phones there are way ahead of ours, people buy new ones monthly there... Lol, the funny part is, in Japan, the iphone doesn't sell even if though they give it away... literally
in us you don't buy a phone, the phone buys you.
OPPOSITE DAY!
No it's not.
This article is somewhat poorly written. An example:
"One in four of American mobile phone users surveyed admitted they have spied and read someone else’s text messages without permission. This includes looking at the messages of spouses, partners, friends or even their own kids."
Wow, that's news... one in four people look at other people's messages. If I were a parent, I would certainly be monitoring my children's text usage. "Even their own kids"... right, who wrote this? If you have kids you're responsible for these sorts of things.
This "study" was conducted by a corporation trying to sell phones. Move along...
You spy on your kids like that? Why? What are you hoping to accomplish? Your kids NEED a degree of privacy, dude, or they will never develop properly. If you try to hold their hands until they are out the door, they will have no idea how to actually deal with the real world. That being said, if you have specific cause for concern, then it is your job as a parent to step in and do whatever needs to be done to steer your kids back on the right track. Under normal circumstances though... please, leave their phones and bedrooms alone.
You can't fully understand something you never used before, you get one and learn...
I bet they learned to drive by reading the manual.
I wanted a smartphone because I'm a tech hobbyist/enthusiast who could afford one at the time.
I got a WinMo phone -the Samsung i910 Omnia and the thing has been awesome.
-but that awesomeness had to be wrought out of it in the formof installing a few programs and changinf the Today screen.
I think most "regular" folks don't have the inclination to fiddle, so they end up leaving much of the coolness unexperienced.
-the rest are just idiots who think they need this stuff when a feature phone would do 'em just as well.
"Sadly, there was no figure indicating how many people enjoy paying too much for text messages and signing their lives away on lengthy contracts."
Uh, oh, wait. Why have a picture of pre here, when the above statement clearly is about AT&T & iPhone?
Actually, the iPhone was designed with those of us who are attracted to shiny objects, in mind. I mean, even an idiot can use the iPhone (albeit after a month of hating the damn thing), and that's why it sells so well. I would use a BlackBerry as a MUCH better example, for several reasons:
1. They are much easier to obtain and significantly cheaper if you are looking for a 'basic' smartphone (see: BlackBerry Pearl / Pearl Flip, Curve 83XX series)
2. There are more BlackBerry users than iPhone users
3. They are as addicting as Crack, and nobody denies it
4. And last time I checked, it was only until recently, that when someone looked at your smartphone, they asked what model BlackBerry it was. (I suppose now they're a tad more informed)
Using the Pre was just silly, as the people who are truly interested in it, are interested in it because they are avid Palm supporters, or see the potential in the WebOS Architecture. Then again, I could be speaking for a small sliver of people, this is just my opinion.
Lastly, in terms of the iPhone, and it's mass popularity: I'll chalk it up to the iPod, and the phenomenal content delivery system that is the iTunes store. (or whatever it is, I don't use Apple products, but I won't deny their popularity)
Only thing you are missing is that the iPhone is now cheaper than any BlackBerry at an AT&T store, or Best Buy. The number of iPhone users is shattering the number of Blackberry users in market sales. It is the #1 Fastest growing smartphone evah! And believe me, the iPhone is plenty addicting. They lock you in for life. There is no way I could ever go back to a regular phone after having the iPhone. Not to mention that your last comment had no relevance, whatsoever.
Yeah too bad ONE model of Blackberry outsold the iPhone (not to mention the other 2 Blackberries in the top 5). Nice try. Not only is the iPhone not the fastest selling phone in the US, but it's absolutely phail in terms of global market share.
haha, couldn't help but think of this
btw, NSFW language
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/sony_releases_new_stupid_piece_of
This just in: People do things to look cool.
And people are stupid
Every phone is a smartphone now
and the phones are smarter than the users of said phones.
Can someone say subject/verb agreement?
totally true...one of my friends got a centro a year ago..when I tried to tell him to put a memo on his phone...and he responded..."how?"
Best Buy is probably right, but they don't mind. The carriers don't either. If it sells and more people get expensive data plans, it's good business!
Once upon a time I thought I wanted a smartphone. Then I got a Sharp 902. That day I discovered that what I actually wanted was a capable multimedia phone without the clunky general-purpose OS that went with it. And boy, do the Japanese make these in spades. The only reason I use an iPhone for the time being is because I won one in a raffle- I'd never pay for one.
I understand mine.
It desires me to hold it and never let it go
People like to pretend they are ,rich, important, cool. A cellphone is pretty much a standard thing nowadays and even if they are good(some) GET OVER IT its a cellphone we dont care how cool your ringtone or how important you look reading your junk mail pretending your reading a company letter.
+1
Aren't junk mail and company letters the same thing?
lol, the women caring more about gaming on the phone then men cracks me up because I got my mother a new cell phone and then she told me about how she started having dreams at night about the puzzle game the phone came with from playing the game so much before bed.
This was pretty amazing since the last time my mother played a video game ever was the day she bought me an NES and we played Super Mario Brothers, and neither one of us could beat the first level since we had never used a video game controller before (and I was like 5).
Cool story bro.
Yes, it was enthralling.
riveting tale chap
The secret behind iPhone sales unveiled. That wasn't even painful and proves why almost no one wants to buy iPhone in Japan, in country that is supposed to be a technology leader and its citizens being perceptive and aware of the latest technology.
Man you're wrong with both of your points.
First the smartphone features of the iPhone even in the hands on non-techie people still get used a lot more than other smartphones. I know parents and grandparents that used features of the iphone like weather and safari that they would never use on a windows mobile or blackberry. Also, there are a TON of people out there with Blackberries that used them for nothing more than texting, its ridiculous.
As for Japan, yeah their phones are packed with features but having talked with people from Japan they say that most people dont even understand how to use all the features. Its all about the feature check list, you buy the phone with the most check marks. They are creatures of habit just like us in the US, if everyone is buying Blackberries then you buy one too.
I would say both of you are wrong about Japan.
The reason the iPhone doesn't work that well (but still, it's not that bad) is because it is not adapted for Japanese people.
In fact, the "shiny cool factor" would be made for Japan, almost created for this country where everything is based on appearances.
But then, the fact that you couldn't copy/paste was a huge drawback because a lot of japanese need to copy and paste the chinese character in a dictionnary application to know how to read it (and even worse for foreigners...).
Also, one on the best thing about iPhone is that you can access and browse the net from everywhere, but phones already does that here, and it has been for years. So no real incentive to switch your phone.
Then, young girls love typing on their keyboard and even take proud in their speed (I think there is even a competition).There is also the fashion to ornate your phone with glimmery accesories, the iPhone would only enable a half phone for that, so it's less "cute".
Add the 2 years contracts and you can understand why it is hard for iPhones here ... but I trust it will grow soon.
Sorry for the long post, I couldn't refrain from adding my point of view about Japan.