By 2020, the number of smartphone users is projected to rise to 2.87 billion. If you compare that to the projected total world population in 2020 of 7.8 billion, then that is 37% of the total population of the world with a smartphone. Americans spend over four hours a day on their smartphones. This staggering statistic demonstrates just how essential smartphones have become to our lives – but how do they cater for everything?
Communication
As well as meeting the bare minimum requirement of being a phone by allowing you to make phone calls, your smartphone has an array of other ways for you to communicate with your friends, colleagues and random strangers. WhatsApp is a solid and reliable way to stay in touch with people via text. Skype and other apps will let you make video calls with multiple people at a time, so you can even show off your lovely face while you stay in touch. You can also message on various social media apps.
Social media
Pictures of your grandma’s new dog, updates on the life milestones of your high school friends, blurry pictures of your work colleague at a bar – Facebook sure has everything you need. On Twitter, you can see what Samuel L. Jackson thinks about the big news story. On Instagram, you can look at your favorite influencer’s new swimming pool. On Snapchat, you can watch a ten-second video of your friends drunkenly singing in a club. All of this and more is available on your smartphone – why would you ever do anything else?
Gaming
Whether you want a quick flick on Angry Birds, or there are new Pokémon to catch in the area on Pokémon GO, your smartphone offers up countless gaming experiences for you to enjoy. A variety of genres means that you can choose something to distract you for a few minutes on the train or something to spend a few hours playing on. Whether it’s action-adventure, puzzle, racing or something else, you can be sure to find something good to play. If it’s online casino games that you’re after, then try winning on Stakers.
Shopping
Now, you can even use your phone for shopping. Companies such as Amazon and ASOS have released specialized apps for their stores to make buying stuff from them even easier and more seamless. Apps like this also tell you when sales are on or when you’ve got vouchers available to use. The clear and crisp user interfaces mean that it’s a pleasure to look for new things to buy.
Work
You can’t even escape your phone at work. Email apps allow you to stay on top of emails, notifying you when you receive one, so you can reply as soon as possible. Apps such as Google Drive mean that your phone can also become your workstation, allowing you to type up documents and spreadsheets and share them with colleagues with ease. This has unlocked more flexible working since you don’t have to be tethered to your desk.