Democracy Less Important Than Cellphones - Study

Stylish smartphones are in hot demand, but are Canadians practicing smart phone use? According to a new Palm Canada/Leger Marketing study, while almost half (45%) of Canadian mobile phone users have upgraded or bought a new phone in the last year, etiquette may be taking a back seat when it comes to public cell-phone use.

Oddly, the study also found that five per cent of respondents would rather give up their right to vote in elections than their cellphone.

In the midst of a possible cell-phone ban for new Ontario drivers being considered by lawmakers, two-thirds (67%) of cell-phone users across Canada admit to talking on their cell while driving -- and a full 75 per cent of those who drive and dial confess that talking on the phone affects how safely they drive.

The survey also revealed that the majority of cell-phone users (91%) have been annoyed by other cellular users in public places, and half (49%) have been annoyed by cab drivers chatting on their mobile. Somewhat ironically, nearly half (47%) also admit to having their cell-phone ring in an inappropriate place, such as a movie theatre, during a meeting, or at a library.

Cell-phone personalization is also popular, as one-third (34%) of users have added a unique ring tone, and one in four (25%) says they take or store digital pictures on their phone. Cell-phone users who are 34 years and younger are more likely to personalize their cell phones than older users (ring tones: 49 per cent vs. 28 per cent; pictures: 43 per cent vs. 18 per cent; wallpaper: 23 per cent vs. eight per cent; downloaded music: 15 per cent vs. four per cent).

"It's clear that there's an opportunity for Canadians to take advantage of cool, customizable features and the latest call-management functionality found in the new Treo 700wx smartphone," said Janice Keay, director of Marketing, Palm Canada. "It's easy to manage calls at the touch of a button, whether it's choosing how to handle an active call, ignoring an incoming call, or accessing voice mail. Taking advantage of smart, user-friendly features like photo speed-dialing or even voice-activated hands-free dialing has never been simpler."

Some of the stranger findings:

• Almost three in five (56%) use their cell-phones to fill in free time.
• One in 10 cell-phone users would rather lose their mother-in-law than their cell-phone, while five per cent of respondents would rather give up their right to vote than their cell-phone.
• Another three per cent of cell-phone users would rather give up their pet than their phone, followed by two per cent who would be willing to give up their driver's license or their current job in order to keep their phone.

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Posted to the site on 20th October 2006