Top 10 Smartphone Uses

Top 10 Smartphone Uses

Did you know that we are now more than twice as likely to send a text than make a phone call from our smartphone?

Earlier this year we asked 2,017 smartphone owners in the UK about their most-used handset features and apps, calling habits, and average time spent swiping and scrolling.

Here are the results...

How often do you use your phone as a phone?

The study[1] revealed that the original, intended job of a phone – to make calls – is falling from favour, and we are now way more likely to communicate via a text, email or social message.

27% of smartphone owners will not make a phone call in over a week, and 5% never make or accept a call. A massive 63% of us will also only accept a call from known contacts, and a third will always reject a call if we aren’t expecting it.

It turns out that if you really want to speak to someone, you may be best to send a text.

Did you know that there are also several ways you can use your smartphone to help you find a new job?

Top 10 daily smartphone uses

  1. Texting (88% use this)
  2. Email (70% use this)
  3. Facebook (62% use this)
  4. Camera (61% use this)
  5. Reading news (58% use this)
  6. Online shopping (56% use this)
  7. Checking the weather (54% use this)
  8. WhatsApp (51% use this)
  9. Banking (45% use this)
  10. Watching videos on YouTube (42% use this)

Phone calls dont even make the top ten, coming in at number 11 with just 41% of people using this feature on a regular basis. Despite many handsets now offering video calling, 88% of us still prefer a voice call – though millennials are more open to giving video a go. The study also revealed that we spend an average of two hours a day using our phones – with 18-24-year-olds the worst culprits.

Weird smartphone uses:

But it's not all standard uses - here's a collection of other things that survey participants admitted using their handsets for.

  1. Taking a picture of a spot on my back
  2. Recording conversations at work as evidence
  3. Using it as a bottle opener
  4. Using it as a hammer
  5. Using it as a bed warmer
  6. Using it as a back scratcher
  7. Using it as a paperweight
  8. Using the reflection to spy on people behind you
  9. Using it as a nut cracker
  10. Using it as a chopping board

It would seem that there are so many apps and features on the latest smartphone that you don’t really need to leave the house with anything else – your handset can be your satnav, your watch, your camera, your wallet, your home cinema, your personal trainer and even a phone too.

With all these useful extras, it is no surprise that actual calls are proving less popular, although maybe we should all make the effort to dial in and catch up with loved ones using more than just emojis.

Whatever your smartphone requirements, head over to Mobiles.co.uk for all the latest releases.


  1. ‘This Caller is on Hold’ survey conducted by Mobiles.co.uk in March 2017 with 2,017 UK respondents (aged 18+) that own and regularly use a smartphone. ↩︎