It turns out that anything can be monitored these days and turned into research. This has now stretched to the humble mobile phone and how what you own and what you do with it categorises you as a person.
Forbes has spent some time collating the views of top mobile execs, and has found some pretty obvious things. For instance, if you spend a lot of money on a pretty phone, apparently you are fashion conscious. Thankfully that was highlighted; else making the leap would have been difficult.
But in fairness, there were some useful insights. While the notion of a robust, hard-to break phone labeling you outdoors-y and active might seem like writing the word ‘egg’ on an egg, noting the different types of user is more interesting.
According to the article, mobile phone users can be divided into three groups: pioneers, wannabes and traditionalists. Although the labels are pretty generic, the numbers make interesting reading.
Pioneers - those early adopters who want to have everything the second its out - make up 15% of US mobile users, and help test new technology and set the trends for the rest of the world.
These people will have sent picture messages to friends while shopping to garner opinion, and will probably use the mobile web most days.
Their actions will influence wannabes, those who like to be using the latest stuff but don’t really feel they need it. This type makes up 25% of the market, and helps maintain the trends set by people who actually wanted the technology in the first place.
Then you have the traditionalists making up a massive 60% of the market (you know who you are). These people want to talk or text and that’s it; no frills, no geotagging of 5-megapixel shots snapped with a Schneider-Kreuznach lens.
You may be in agreement, thinking ‘why do phones need to do more than phoning and texting?' Just remember a decade ago when texting was barely even heard of.
So in another decade you’ll be wondering how you ever lived without the mobile web. You heard it here first.
