SMS dominates competitors

SMS dominates competitors

The term mobile has become a household name. More than that, it’s become an accessory that the modern human can’t live without.

When the term mobile is spoken, the majority of people will immediately still think of a phone (probably a smartphone); the truth, however, is that it actually refers to a device that’s portable, something you can take with you wherever you go. Smartphones pop to mind because they’re small enough to fit in a pocket or a small handbag, hence why phones are ordinarily synonymous with the term mobile. But mobile refers to a relatively large number of devices—tablets, phablets (which are still strictly speaking smartphones), netbooks, some notebooks — you could even throw laptop - tablet hybrids into this equation. There are plenty of mobile variations, all of which with some overlap, correctly categorised under the mobile umbrella.

When mobiles first emerged, namely the mobile phone, they were used primarily as communication devices (they still do make calls, mind you). As any modern person living in the modern world would now know, they’ve outgrown that limited function. And by far. Mobile devices are today capable of most things a laptop or conventional desktop computer are. Sure, they’re not always as fast or smooth as their chunkier counterparts, and the programs and apps you can get on a laptop or desktop aren’t usually as feature-packed on their mobile equivalents. Nevertheless, the gaps are closing.

Enter Email

Go back only a few years ago and email was not typically considered a function available on mobiles. It was just too difficult to format an email on a handheld device to the same quality as you could on a desktop or laptop. Today, however, 91% of people use their mobiles (smartphones) to access emails.

Email is just one area in which the overlap between mobile and desktops/laptops has become evident.The power of mobile can be seen in almost every operative nook and crevice, just by zeroing in on smartphones alone. Of smartphone owners between the ages of 18-34, 74% use their phones for social media, 54% use it as a camera, 52% use their phone as a gaming device — 46% even use it to watch movies.

Moving Forward

Our dependency on these little glowing screens is increasing. Some people’s entire lives depend on and revolve around their mobile devices, anchoring the manner in which they communicate with the world around. Mobile is just another part of life. When you ready your things in the morning for the day ahead, most people’s phone is right there next to their keys, waiting to be wedged into pant pockets or thrown into handbags.

Funnily enough, despite all that new mobile technology is capable of, guess what the smartphone’s primary mode of use is? Making calls and sending SMS. Who’d have thought?

It’s estimated that by the end of 2015, a staggering 8.3 trillion text messages will be sent across the globe. Ninety percent of people send one SMS per day. Over 14.6 million texts will be sent this minute. And 243,000 this second. Indeed, SMS is still the most popular activity on a smartphone device, despite all the bells and whistles fighting for a slice of the average mobile user’s attention.