How Much/Many of your Mobile Functions do you Use?

[Bill1945]

Good Afternoon,

As I sat here today and admired the picturesque and photogenic winter scene outside my house (and took pictures with my mobile) I asked myself the following question:- how many of the functions of this magnificent device do you use? 

Including the default apps. I reckon that I use my phone extensively but the comms side much less than the calendar, calculator, camera and music. Toting that lot up I would say I use 75% of the phone functions.

I would really like other thoughts on the Subject.

Bill1945

[Glory1]

Hi @Bill1945. You ask a rather interesting question. I have a Samsung Galaxy S8 plus. The first thing I did on receiving my phone after charging it, and using Smart Switch to transfer apps/data from my old Note 4 was to uninstall all the Samsung apps I knew I wouldn't use. My phone also has an 'hide apps' provision which I used to clean my apps screen and the Games Launcher to consolidate all my games in one place. I have a lot of games 😂

So how much of my phone do I use. Well I use the games a lot as well as my music - I have an Amazon Music app where I download songs. I also have a number of TV apps, ITV Hub, My5, BBC iPlayer, All4 and UKTV Play which I use regularly.

My phone also includes a secure folder which contains my bank, M&S and John Lewis apps all of which I dip into regularly. It also contains my Facebook app which I have set up to keep all my games data up-to-date but on which I do not post.

I have a Google folder containing my Amazon and Google apps which, again is used a lot as well as the Clock, Call Control and Notes - the latter 3 used rarely but in the folder to clean my apps screen.

Other than the above I use my calculator and calendar and the internet. The latter mainly to log into the Community and occasionally to browse the O2 website.

I also use Google to search lots: looking for specific websites and even, on the rare occasion checking the spelling of a word.

The camera I rarely use as I'm just not into taking pictures. I also tend to receive the odd text message but send few texts myself unless it's in reply to one sent to me. I use Whatsapp for messaging or Skype for face-to-face calls. Oh and I use my phone as a phone rarely as I tend to email (through my phone) or use Whatsapp or Skype.

Don't know what the percentage would be but I've given you some idea what I use my phone for. Basically everything except to make a phone call 🤣

[sheepdog]

Hmmm. Bit of phased usage with me. Last summer I was in overdrive using the camera, Facebook and email. Currently its between a games machine, a news reader, limited web browsing and email with phone. Which is used quite frequently. Calculator I hate on phones but its handy once or twice a week which is also about the amount of activity I use the SMS function.

I tend to use my older phones for the media apps like Netflix as find those things are an app too many - read battery draining! I gave up on the note taking apps as I got spoilt with a Samsung Note I had on trial from o2 a couple of years ago. 

Music, I personally find its such a step backwards on Android and iPhone so avoid using them completely. I bought a Walkman because the interfaces are so dire on phones and I just want to play/fast forward in one go and not have a convoluted work around to get tunes onto the device.  Without the ability to sync a calendar on the laptop, thats another function that fell out of use for me so the Filofax reigns supreme having no need to access the internet 😉

[Glory1]

I should have added that unlike @sheepdog and the majority of the members of the community I don't have a laptop or desktop as I don't have a landline or broadband. I have a mobile hotspot when I need wifi and mobile data through O2. So I tend to use my phone the way others use their laptops or desktops.

[Cleoriff]

I use my laptop more than my phone. I am used to that way of working.

When I have no access to my PC. I use my phone for News, Emails, FB, Calculator, O2 (and other forums), Messenger, Amazon, Camera (just point and shoot). I also have a Formula 1 app, SkyGo and Mobdro (so I never miss any Formula 1 race) I will occasionally listen to music, and use it for contactless payments

[pgn]

The bit I use least on my smartphone? Probably the "Off" switch

I did a piece elsewhere, link below, on all the functions the humble smartphone has taken on, and with apps from the likes of Ryanair, Easyjet  and TFL, I am sure there are many more functions the smartphone has stolen...

Have you got a traditional wind-up or battery-powered alarm clock upon which you rely these days? No, I thought not.

http://www.ciao.co.uk/Do_We_Depend_Too_Much_On_The_Smartphone__Review_6121474

[Glory1]

Well @pgn I do have a battery-powered alarm clock I use. That's because I switch my phone off when I go to sleep. There is no one I need to hear from that requires my phone on when I sleep. I've voicemail, email, Whatsapo and Skype. So I don't miss a thing while sleeping. And as a very heavy sleeper I need something to get my attention and wake me up. My little alarm clock does the job 😊

Also as I use my phone a lot, particularly playing games, keeping the phone on when I sleep uses up the battery. I do that enough when I'm awake

[pgn]

Trust me to make a sweeping generalisation, @Glory1 

[Bill1945]

Thank you all for allowing this to run. 

I will be interested to see the responses tomorrow (Monday 22 Dec 2018) to see what further posts are received.

Bill1945

[Bill1945]

Typical absent minded professor - of course I meant 22 Jan 2018