Mobile phones are important devices in our lives. You most likely have had several models before. The current one may be the 2nd, 3rd 7th or 10th device to own. It is your number one choice for communication with family and friends. Chances are your prefer SMS over voice. I have been curious lately about cell phones. I decide to do some research and was fascinated about numerous tidbits I found out. Here are surprising facts about cell phones besides from the obvious ones.
1. There Are Lots of Them.
There are about 5.3 billion devices worldwide. The world just celebrated the birth of its 7th billionth man and that means penetration is 75.71%. However, some countries have higher penetration than others. United Arab Emirates boasts of 2 phones for each citizen, followed by tiny Montenegro at 192% according to the 2010 ITU statistics. Penetration in the USA stands at 91% while Africa comes last at 41%
In 2010, a total of 1.388 billion handsets were sold with Nokia leading with 453 million followed by Samsung with 280 million. This was an 18.5% increase compared to the total handsets sold in 2009.
2. They Make a Mess.
Cell phones are causing an environmental concern. About 125 million plus devices are discarded every year. Korea leads the pack on average replacing phones every 11 months. The high rate of replacement is partly as a result of change of technology. According to Moore's law, technology doubles every 18 months. Meaning in less than two years, a lighter and fancier phone comes to the market with better features than its predecessor. It is difficult for consumers not to go for it.
3. Cell Phone Flashlight.
If you have ever lost power and had to resort to using the cell phone flash light, you are not alone. According to a survey by Sprint about two-thirds of mobile phone users use the backlight as a flashlight. This is especially common when your car breaks down at night in the middle of nowhere. The flash light also comes in handy in rural areas of developing countries where power is scarce.
4. SMS is King.
About 6.9 trillion SMS were sent in 2010 and the number is expected to jump to 8 trillion in 2011. According to CNN, 31% of Americans prefer text over voice while a further 14% say the preference depends on the situation they are in. As you might have guessed, the younger generation leads in the SMS revolution. Interestingly, people in the 18-24 age groups send 109.5 text messages each on a normal day.
5. SMS Open Rates are Incredibly High.
A recent PEW research found interesting results. About 51% of all Americans use the phones for quick information. While 42% use the devices for entertainment. Americans are also very social and like sharing with 54% sending pictures and videos to friends and relatives.
In addition, cell phones are used for emergency notifications. This because: one, SMS open rates are as high as 98% and two, the average message is opened within 4 minutes. It makes SMS effective and preferable choice for time sensitive- information.
Mary Wilhite is a Mobile Marketing Specialist, also known as the Mobile Marketing Queen. Teaching small businesses, entrepreneurs, and internet marketers how to attract better customers with mobile marketing devices. Get more of her mobile marketing tips, tricks, and strategies today. Just click here http://marywilhiteblog.com/
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