Smartphone survey questions & results
Introduction:
Note: We define “smartphone” as a mobile phone that offers advanced capabilities such as Web access and e-mail; runs complete operating system software and can run various “apps” created by third parties; and features a larger screen and faster processor than standard mobile phones.
1. What is your gender?
| Male | Female |
|---|---|
| 46% | 54% |
2. What is your age?
| 18-21 | 22-25 | 26-30 | 31-40 | 41-50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59% | 28% | 8% | 4% | 1% |
3. What is the highest level of education you have completed?
| High school/GED | Some college | 2-year college degree | 4-year college degree | Master’s degree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8% | 58% | 4% | 24% | 6% |
4. What is your current primary occupation?
Student | Faculty/staff | No response | Other_____________
100% of respondents self-identified as students; for analysis, we calculated only student responses and discarded others.
5. What is your major or field of study?_____________
6. Do you use or own a smartphone as your primary mobile phone?
Yes | No (“No” = exit survey)
| Yes | No |
|---|---|
| 54% | 45% |
Note: All data below this point is calculated from self-identified smartphone users only…
7. What brand of smartphone do you use? (select your primary mobile phone if you have more than one)
| iPhone | RIM/Blackberry | Android OS | Windows OS | Palm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40% | 26% | 22% | 8% | 4% |
8. EXCLUDING VOICE CALLS, how often do you use your smartphone in these situations?
| Often | Sometimes | Seldom | Never | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idle time at work or school (during breaks, lunch, boring meetings/classes, etc.) | 75% | 17% | 7% | 1% |
| Riding the bus, train, or in car as passenger (commute) | 74% | 19% | 5% | 2% |
| Waiting in line (examples: coffee shop, grocery store, for movie to start, picking up kids, etc.) | 55% | 30% | 14% | 1.8% |
| In bed when you wake up (weekend leisure time. before you get out of bed for work, etc.) | 52% | 25% | 14% | 9% |
| In bed before you go to sleep | 46% | 26% | 17% | 11% |
| For school related tasks | 45% | 37% | 14% | 4% |
| For work related tasks | 39% | 35% | 17% | 9% |
| In the bathroom | 19% | 28% | 28% | 25% |
| While exercising (running, cycling, skiing, at the gym…) | 17% | 22% | 26% | 35% |
| While you are driving, waiting for light to turn green (not moving) | 16% | 35% | 30% | 19% |
| While you are driving (wheels moving) | 10% | 19% | 37% | 34% |
9. Under what other scenarios do you commonly use your smartphone? (Please list, one per line)_____________
Click to view answers...
These are some of the answers given by survey participants; we include them as anecdotal evidence of how college students use their smartphones. (Click anywhere in text to hide.)
→ Alarm clock
→ Doctor’s offices
→ Hanging out at friends; look up answers in class; during meals
→ During class
→ Check scores
→ To listen to music on a regular basis
→ While eating
→ Waiting for friends
→ Settling arguments with friends; looking up random trivia facts at dinner/drinks; looking up recipes in the grocery store; finding dinner reservations
→ In an argument, to fact check
→ Walking to class or work when i’m bored
→ For class projects, group meetings
→ I use my smartphone while I am walking from one destination to another, especially if I am lost
→ While cooking; While doing homework
→ Sometimes while watching TV
→ To be honest, always!
→ In meetings taking notes.
→ Doctors’ waiting rooms, waiting for people to meet me places, walking or driving from place to place (podcasts)
→ Waiting for long periods of time; when I first wake up to read the news
→ When giving directions; in waiting rooms (i.e., doctor’s office)
→ When I’m bored; When I need information; When I’m reporting
→ Check Craigslist for updates; Check email (constantly); Listen to Pandora; Text
→ Downtime, on-the-go research, walking to class
→ Walking to class; waiting for a meeting; waiting for a doctor’s appointment
→ Walking around campus
→ Bored, need quick facts, score updates
→ In unfamiliar places to get directions or look for an address
→ Looking for movie times, checking weather, killing time when I don’t have access to a computer, etc.
→ At the airport, At sporting events, checking scores of other events
→ I am a very curious person, always asking questions about pretty much anything under the sun; I use my phone anytime I have a question in order to find answers; I also have a lot of game apps, which I play when bored or when waiting.
→ Getting directions to places
→ Walking to class
→ Walking on campus
→ I use my smart phone to: listen to the radio while on the bus, check the news while waiting in line for coffee, play games and check websites like Textsfromlastnight.com or buffsecret.com during idle time at school, check weather before getting out of bed, set alarms and schedule before going to bed, make phone calls while driving, change the music station I am listening to when stopped at a stoplight, to complete text messages in the bathroom, to track how far I have run using an application.
→ Taking notes during meetings
→ On vacation as primary email device
→ When i have to wait for something
→ I use the GPS feature on my hand-held smartphone; I watch Youtube videos and find it very accessible to any online sites; I have used my phone to record lectures as well at opening up Word documents that I get all the time; Email is my most used feature on my phone.
→ Boring lectures.. urgent need to check email while in class
→ General down time at home
→ At home or office, for organizational tasks; at presentations; to note music, books, software or other titles I want to investigate another time
→ Waiting for class to start
→ While at bars; Waiting for friends
→ In the airport; in a cab; when i need to look something up quickly
→ While walking places or longboarding
→ While with friends
→ Waiting for anything, doctor’s office, etc.
→ When lost, addresses, phone numbers, email, bank statements
→ During commercials while watching TV; To search for directions
→ Everywhere I go I use it to txt and call people
→ I use it on the bus on my way to class, and I always check the news and weather before I go to bed
→ I use it when I need or want information, this can be for academic interests or personal but I find it useful to have all of my data organized in a quickly accessible tool. Wikipedia is wonderful.
→ In airports or as a passenger in a car
→ While waiting for doctor’s appointments
→ Reading at lunch; Getting Directions; Listening to music when away from home; Practicing language skills when on the airplane
→ Checking email in the morning; Correcting people on grammar word usage or facts
→ Working out; finding restaurants; listening to music on the bus; looking cool things up online; playing sudoku
→ Away from a computer and need the internet. Shopping, movie times, weather, news
→ Texting friends; check email; need directions somewhere; need to look up something a professor says; need to verify facts from a bet or conversation; if bored during class; to track my speed down the mountain on a snowboard (app for this); make notes, e.g. to-do list, grocery list, person’s email address; alarm clock; listen to Washington DC sports radio (via Wunderradio app); while shopping, to look up comparison prices online or facts about what I’m considering buying
→ Any time I’m bored; The iPhone is ultimate
→ In class, as an alarm clock, at the gym
→ Look up the bus schedule; waiting for bus; bored in class; calling people before class; calling before I go to bed, when I wake up
→ In awkward situations (fake texting); when I’m bored; I play brick breaker; when I want to avoid someone I act like I’m on my phone or texting so I don’t see them
→ When I am browsing my emails in between breaks in class
→ Walking from one place to another place; During dining
→ Stream Pandora via wi-fi through phone to a connected a stereo. Quick Internet searches (is there a Mexican restaurant nearby? What team did ___ play for last year? etc.) Starting to use cash management & gas mileage applications (for wife’s car).
→ Waiting for the bus
→ At parties
→ In a pool, at the beach, during sporting events, during class
→ While walking across campus; at a friend’s house; to look up info
→ Expecting important email; When lost (GPS capability)
→ When I’m lost; When I’m looking up the phone number of a venue (coffee, concert)
→ Whenever I’m bored
→ I use mine as an alarm clock.
→ Develop apps, Check locations using Map, Bus timings, eMail Facebook, twitter, Web browsing, In the loo… light reading
→ At school – checking weather 2) Before bedtime – checking tomorrow’s weather
→ In between class or working; checking my emails or update on sports scores
→ Waiting for class to start. I check the weather and wordly and celebrity news on it everyday
→ Texting, looking up information, looking up directions
→ Bored in class; Listening to music while driving; Listening to music in general; Walking (mostly around campus)
→ Relaxation, meditation, maps
→ To look up information during class
→ When buying groceries, I use Epicurious and select a meal; so then I buy each ingredient as I go down each aisle
→ Biking and listening to music; when looking up a question
→ With friends, look up random stuff, camera on outings
→ Between classes; in car pulled over, stopped; waiting for clients; checking directions
→ Submiting web based homework
These are some of the answers given by survey participants; we include them as anecdotal evidence of how college students use their smartphones. (Click anywhere in text to hide.)
→ Alarm clock
→ Doctor’s offices
→ Hanging out at friends; look up answers in class; during meals
→ During class
→ Check scores
→ To listen to music on a regular basis
→ While eating
→ Waiting for friends
→ Settling arguments with friends; looking up random trivia facts at dinner/drinks; looking up recipes in the grocery store; finding dinner reservations
→ In an argument, to fact check
→ Walking to class or work when i’m bored
→ For class projects, group meetings
→ I use my smartphone while I am walking from one destination to another, especially if I am lost
→ While cooking; While doing homework
→ Sometimes while watching TV
→ To be honest, always!
→ In meetings taking notes.
→ Doctors’ waiting rooms, waiting for people to meet me places, walking or driving from place to place (podcasts)
→ Waiting for long periods of time; when I first wake up to read the news
→ When giving directions; in waiting rooms (i.e., doctor’s office)
→ When I’m bored; When I need information; When I’m reporting
→ Check Craigslist for updates; Check email (constantly); Listen to Pandora; Text
→ Downtime, on-the-go research, walking to class
→ Walking to class; waiting for a meeting; waiting for a doctor’s appointment
→ Walking around campus
→ Bored, need quick facts, score updates
→ In unfamiliar places to get directions or look for an address
→ Looking for movie times, checking weather, killing time when I don’t have access to a computer, etc.
→ At the airport, At sporting events, checking scores of other events
→ I am a very curious person, always asking questions about pretty much anything under the sun; I use my phone anytime I have a question in order to find answers; I also have a lot of game apps, which I play when bored or when waiting.
→ Getting directions to places
→ Walking to class
→ Walking on campus
→ I use my smart phone to: listen to the radio while on the bus, check the news while waiting in line for coffee, play games and check websites like Textsfromlastnight.com or buffsecret.com during idle time at school, check weather before getting out of bed, set alarms and schedule before going to bed, make phone calls while driving, change the music station I am listening to when stopped at a stoplight, to complete text messages in the bathroom, to track how far I have run using an application.
→ Taking notes during meetings
→ On vacation as primary email device
→ When i have to wait for something
→ I use the GPS feature on my hand-held smartphone; I watch Youtube videos and find it very accessible to any online sites; I have used my phone to record lectures as well at opening up Word documents that I get all the time; Email is my most used feature on my phone.
→ Boring lectures.. urgent need to check email while in class
→ General down time at home
→ At home or office, for organizational tasks; at presentations; to note music, books, software or other titles I want to investigate another time
→ Waiting for class to start
→ While at bars; Waiting for friends
→ In the airport; in a cab; when i need to look something up quickly
→ While walking places or longboarding
→ While with friends
→ Waiting for anything, doctor’s office, etc.
→ When lost, addresses, phone numbers, email, bank statements
→ During commercials while watching TV; To search for directions
→ Everywhere I go I use it to txt and call people
→ I use it on the bus on my way to class, and I always check the news and weather before I go to bed
→ I use it when I need or want information, this can be for academic interests or personal but I find it useful to have all of my data organized in a quickly accessible tool. Wikipedia is wonderful.
→ In airports or as a passenger in a car
→ While waiting for doctor’s appointments
→ Reading at lunch; Getting Directions; Listening to music when away from home; Practicing language skills when on the airplane
→ Checking email in the morning; Correcting people on grammar word usage or facts
→ Working out; finding restaurants; listening to music on the bus; looking cool things up online; playing sudoku
→ Away from a computer and need the internet. Shopping, movie times, weather, news
→ Texting friends; check email; need directions somewhere; need to look up something a professor says; need to verify facts from a bet or conversation; if bored during class; to track my speed down the mountain on a snowboard (app for this); make notes, e.g. to-do list, grocery list, person’s email address; alarm clock; listen to Washington DC sports radio (via Wunderradio app); while shopping, to look up comparison prices online or facts about what I’m considering buying
→ Any time I’m bored; The iPhone is ultimate
→ In class, as an alarm clock, at the gym
→ Look up the bus schedule; waiting for bus; bored in class; calling people before class; calling before I go to bed, when I wake up
→ In awkward situations (fake texting); when I’m bored; I play brick breaker; when I want to avoid someone I act like I’m on my phone or texting so I don’t see them
→ When I am browsing my emails in between breaks in class
→ Walking from one place to another place; During dining
→ Stream Pandora via wi-fi through phone to a connected a stereo. Quick Internet searches (is there a Mexican restaurant nearby? What team did ___ play for last year? etc.) Starting to use cash management & gas mileage applications (for wife’s car).
→ Waiting for the bus
→ At parties
→ In a pool, at the beach, during sporting events, during class
→ While walking across campus; at a friend’s house; to look up info
→ Expecting important email; When lost (GPS capability)
→ When I’m lost; When I’m looking up the phone number of a venue (coffee, concert)
→ Whenever I’m bored
→ I use mine as an alarm clock.
→ Develop apps, Check locations using Map, Bus timings, eMail Facebook, twitter, Web browsing, In the loo… light reading
→ At school – checking weather 2) Before bedtime – checking tomorrow’s weather
→ In between class or working; checking my emails or update on sports scores
→ Waiting for class to start. I check the weather and wordly and celebrity news on it everyday
→ Texting, looking up information, looking up directions
→ Bored in class; Listening to music while driving; Listening to music in general; Walking (mostly around campus)
→ Relaxation, meditation, maps
→ To look up information during class
→ When buying groceries, I use Epicurious and select a meal; so then I buy each ingredient as I go down each aisle
→ Biking and listening to music; when looking up a question
→ With friends, look up random stuff, camera on outings
→ Between classes; in car pulled over, stopped; waiting for clients; checking directions
→ Submiting web based homework
10. Multitasking: EXCLUDING VOICE CALLS, how often do you use your smartphone while simultaneously doing these activities?
| Often | Sometimes | Seldom | Never | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listening to music | 52% | 33% | 11% | 4% |
| Walking | 45% | 38% | 14% | 3% |
| Watching TV | 42% | 40% | 9% | 9% |
| Shopping | 33% | 42% | 17% | 8% |
| Using the toilet | 22% | 27% | 23% | 28% |
| Playing computer games | 17% | 18% | 25% | 40% |
| Playing sports, exercising | 14% | 17% | 38% | 31% |
| While talking on the phone (i.e., using apps, advanced features) | 13% | 29% | 37% | 21% |
11. Under what other situations do you use your smartphone and multitask? _____________
12. How often are you consuming different types of information on your smartphone?
| Often | Sometimes | Seldom | Never | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Text messaging (SMS) | 81% | 12% | 5% | 2% |
| Reading e-mail | 77% | 16% | 2% | 5% |
| Searching for specific information | 67% | 25% | 6% | 2% |
| Talking on the phone | 64% | 29% | 6% | 1% |
| Viewing content on social networks | 52% | 22% | 14% | 11% |
| Weather forecasts | 48% | 30% | 15% | 7% |
| Maps, GPS | 47% | 34% | 12% | 7% |
| Communicating with friends on social networks | 42% | 25% | 18% | 14% |
| News | 41% | 36% | 13% | 10% |
| Listening to music | 41% | 27% | 16% | 16% |
| Chatting (AIM, GoogleTalk, Skype Chat, etc.) | 14% | 18% | 30% | 38% |
| Solo video games | 12% | 21% | 22% | 45% |
| Watching video (ex. video podcasts, Youtube, etc.) | 9% | 31% | 34% | 27% |
| Listening to audio podcasts | 9% | 14% | 26% | 51% |
| Video games across networks with multiple players | 4% | 7% | 15% | 74% |
| Reading books (ex. Kindle Reader app; B&N Reader app, etc.) | 3% | 7% | 18% | 72% |
13. Are there additional ways you consume information on your smartphone that are not covered in the above question? _____________
14. How often do you create different types of content on your smartphone?
| Often | Sometimes | Seldom | Never | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Text messaging (SMS) | 88% | 5% | 5% | 2% |
| Writing or responding to e-mail | 52% | 31% | 11% | 7% |
| Taking photos | 49% | 36% | 12% | 3% |
| Maps/GPS | 47% | 34% | 12% | 7% |
| Recording calendar events | 47% | 26% | 16% | 10% |
| Updating Facebook status | 27% | 25% | 24% | 25% |
| Taking video | 14% | 25% | 29% | 32% |
| Tweeting | 10% | 8% | 14% | 68% |
| Audio recording, creating podcasts | 6% | 7% | 20% | 67% |
15. Are there other types of content that you create using your smartphone not listed in the above question? _____________
16. How do you consume news on a smartphone?
| Often | Sometimes | Seldom | Never | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Read articles on individual news sites (ex. NYTimes.com, WSJ.com) | 33% | 32% | 16% | 19% |
| Skim news articles and content from multiple sources | 24% | 29% | 22% | 25% |
| View news at Google News, Yahoo News, etc. (multi-source news “aggregators”) | 21% | 31% | 21% | 27% |
| Search for news | 18% | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| Use sources like Twitter and Facebook to find news content | 14% | 15% | 22% | 49% |
| Receive news alerts on your smartphone | 14% | 13% | 21% | 52% |
| View news from friends’ recommendations sent to you on your smartphone | 9% | 17% | 24% | 50% |
| Listen to audio news (podcasts or streaming audio) | 7% | 10% | 25% | 58% |
| Search for news using Twitter | 5% | 8% | 14% | 73% |
| Watch news video | 4% | 13% | 25% | 58% |
17. What are your preferences for consuming news on your smartphone?
| Favorite | Like | Neutral | Dislike | Hate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| News in the form of text | 58% | 26% | 13% | 2% | 2% |
| News in the form of photos | 12% | 51% | 27% | 8% | 2% |
| News in the form of video | 10% | 24% | 39% | 21% | 6% |
| News in the form of audio | 5% | 18% | 42% | 30% | 5% |
18. Are there additional ways you prefer to consume news on your smartphone that were not mentioned in the above question? _____________
19. What types of news do you typically read, listen to, view, or seek out on your smartphone?
| Often | Sometimes | Seldom | Never | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weather | 56% | 27% | 11% | 6% |
| Breaking news | 52% | 32% | 8% | 8% |
| National news | 40% | 36% | 13% | 11% |
| International news | 30% | 34% | 20% | 16% |
| Local or state news | 29% | 36% | 20% | 15% |
| Sports news | 21% | 23% | 25% | 31% |
| Business/technology news | 19% | 26% | 33% | 22% |
| Personalized news | 13% | 25 | 28% | 34% |
| Specific columnists or bloggers | 9% | 16% | 29% | 46% |
| Investigative reports | 7% | 26% | 36% | 31% |
20. Are there additional types of news you seek out on your smartphone that were not mentioned in the above question? _____________
21. Do you prefer to go to individual news sites using your smartphone’s Web browser or use a news-specific app?
| News sites | Apps | No preference |
|---|---|---|
| 27% | 40% | 34% |
22. If you have a preference from the above question, please explain. _____________
23. What percentage of a news article do you typically read on your smartphone?
| Headline only | 3 paragraphs or less | 25% of article | 50% of article | 100% of article |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9% | 47% | 16% | 15% | 13% |
24. How long do you typically spend listening to an audio news story on your smartphone?
| 30 seconds or less | 31-59 seconds | 1:00-1:30 | 1:31-2:00 | 2:01-3:00 | More than 3:00 | No response |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31% | 3% | 5% | 3% | 2% | 6% | 50% |
25. How much time do you typically spend watching a news video on your smartphone?
| 30 seconds or less | 31-59 seconds | 1:00-1:30 | 1:31-2:00 | 2:01-3:00 | More than 3:00 | No response |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31% | 3% | 5% | 3% | 2% | 6% | 50% |
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