topic Re: How Much/Many of your Mobile Functions do you Use? in Discussions & Feedback

How Much/Many of your Mobile Functions do you Use?

Bill1945 — Sun, 21 Jan 2018 16:23:08 GMT

Good Afternoon,

As I sat here today and admired the picturesque and photogenic winter scene outside my house (and took pictures with my mobile) I asked myself the following question:- how many of the functions of this magnificent device do you use?

Including the default apps. I reckon that I use my phone extensively but the comms side much less than the calendar, calculator, camera and music. Toting that lot up I would say I use 75% of the phone functions.

I would really like other thoughts on the Subject.

Bill1945

Re: How Much/Many of your Mobile Functions do you Use?

Glory1 — Sun, 21 Jan 2018 17:45:27 GMT

Hi @Bill1945. You ask a rather interesting question. I have a Samsung Galaxy S8 plus. The first thing I did on receiving my phone after charging it, and using Smart Switch to transfer apps/data from my old Note 4 was to uninstall all the Samsung apps I knew I wouldn't use. My phone also has an 'hide apps' provision which I used to clean my apps screen and the Games Launcher to consolidate all my games in one place. I have a lot of games 😂

So how much of my phone do I use. Well I use the games a lot as well as my music - I have an Amazon Music app where I download songs. I also have a number of TV apps, ITV Hub, My5, BBC iPlayer, All4 and UKTV Play which I use regularly.

My phone also includes a secure folder which contains my bank, M&S and John Lewis apps all of which I dip into regularly. It also contains my Facebook app which I have set up to keep all my games data up-to-date but on which I do not post.

I have a Google folder containing my Amazon and Google apps which, again is used a lot as well as the Clock, Call Control and Notes - the latter 3 used rarely but in the folder to clean my apps screen.

Other than the above I use my calculator and calendar and the internet. The latter mainly to log into the Community and occasionally to browse the O2 website.

I also use Google to search lots: looking for specific websites and even, on the rare occasion checking the spelling of a word.

The camera I rarely use as I'm just not into taking pictures. I also tend to receive the odd text message but send few texts myself unless it's in reply to one sent to me. I use Whatsapp for messaging or Skype for face-to-face calls. Oh and I use my phone as a phone rarely as I tend to email (through my phone) or use Whatsapp or Skype.

Don't know what the percentage would be but I've given you some idea what I use my phone for. Basically everything except to make a phone call 🤣

Re: How Much/Many of your Mobile Functions do you Use?

sheepdog — Sun, 21 Jan 2018 18:44:01 GMT

Hmmm. Bit of phased usage with me. Last summer I was in overdrive using the camera, Facebook and email. Currently its between a games machine, a news reader, limited web browsing and email with phone. Which is used quite frequently. Calculator I hate on phones but its handy once or twice a week which is also about the amount of activity I use the SMS function.

I tend to use my older phones for the media apps like Netflix as find those things are an app too many - read battery draining! I gave up on the note taking apps as I got spoilt with a Samsung Note I had on trial from o2 a couple of years ago.

Music, I personally find its such a step backwards on Android and iPhone so avoid using them completely. I bought a Walkman because the interfaces are so dire on phones and I just want to play/fast forward in one go and not have a convoluted work around to get tunes onto the device. Without the ability to sync a calendar on the laptop, thats another function that fell out of use for me so the Filofax reigns supreme having no need to access the internet 😉

Re: How Much/Many of your Mobile Functions do you Use?

Glory1 — Sun, 21 Jan 2018 19:00:03 GMT

I should have added that unlike @sheepdog and the majority of the members of the community I don't have a laptop or desktop as I don't have a landline or broadband. I have a mobile hotspot when I need wifi and mobile data through O2. So I tend to use my phone the way others use their laptops or desktops.

Re: How Much/Many of your Mobile Functions do you Use?

Cleoriff — Sun, 21 Jan 2018 19:36:04 GMT

I use my laptop more than my phone. I am used to that way of working.

When I have no access to my PC. I use my phone for News, Emails, FB, Calculator, O2 (and other forums), Messenger, Amazon, Camera (just point and shoot). I also have a Formula 1 app, SkyGo and Mobdro (so I never miss any Formula 1 race) I will occasionally listen to music, and use it for contactless payments

Re: How Much/Many of your Mobile Functions do you Use?

pgn — Sun, 21 Jan 2018 20:24:45 GMT

The bit I use least on my smartphone? Probably the "Off" switch

I did a piece elsewhere, link below, on all the functions the humble smartphone has taken on, and with apps from the likes of Ryanair, Easyjet and TFL, I am sure there are many more functions the smartphone has stolen...

Have you got a traditional wind-up or battery-powered alarm clock upon which you rely these days? No, I thought not.

http://www.ciao.co.uk/Do_We_Depend_Too_Much_On_The_Smartphone__Review_6121474

Re: How Much/Many of your Mobile Functions do you Use?

Glory1 — Sun, 21 Jan 2018 20:54:04 GMT

Well @pgn I do have a battery-powered alarm clock I use. That's because I switch my phone off when I go to sleep. There is no one I need to hear from that requires my phone on when I sleep. I've voicemail, email, Whatsapo and Skype. So I don't miss a thing while sleeping. And as a very heavy sleeper I need something to get my attention and wake me up. My little alarm clock does the job 😊

Also as I use my phone a lot, particularly playing games, keeping the phone on when I sleep uses up the battery. I do that enough when I'm awake

Re: How Much/Many of your Mobile Functions do you Use?

pgn — Sun, 21 Jan 2018 21:02:59 GMT

Trust me to make a sweeping generalisation, @Glory1

Re: How Much/Many of your Mobile Functions do you Use?

Bill1945 — Sun, 21 Jan 2018 21:37:06 GMT

Thank you all for allowing this to run.

I will be interested to see the responses tomorrow (Monday 22 Dec 2018) to see what further posts are received.

Bill1945

Re: How Much/Many of your Mobile Functions do you Use?

Bill1945 — Sun, 21 Jan 2018 21:40:52 GMT

Typical absent minded professor - of course I meant 22 Jan 2018

Re: How Much/Many of your Mobile Functions do you Use?

jonsie — Sun, 21 Jan 2018 22:52:27 GMT

Like @Glory1 I use my phone for absolutely everything. Circumstances dictated that all my possessions including two laptops are far away. I haven't used them for almost 12 months now and have relied on my phones to keep me in touch with the family and friends back home.

Do I use all the functions? Probably not. Unlike @Glory1 I have no time for games and I don't see the health built in app and only occasionally Word and only once Excel. As for PowerPoint, that was disabled and hidden when I got the phone.nor do I use Samsung music or Galaxy Apps.

Everything is on the two phones. In one phone I have O2 and EE sim cards and the other has my DTAC and TRUE sim cards. My UK phone has my Banking, Gas & Electric, My O2, My EE, all the UK TV ,Mobdro and Netflix, Virgin TV, UK national and local, all the social media, International phone, shopping, navigation and maps, two translation, three browser, one UK weather, one Thai weather, dual clocks, Mightytext, mysms, music players, Dropbox and Drive apps. Not to mention Adobe and United Utilities as well as the housing association apps. All of them are used regularly even the Samsung Remote tv control. Without my phone I would be living in the wild, living off the land and catching fish.

My Thai phone has all the related banking and tv stuff plus of course the apps I use to keep in touch with my wife and various others and Skype. In fact all things Thai.

So yes I'm totally reliant on mobiles.

Re: How Much/Many of your Mobile Functions do you Use?

Glory1 — Sun, 21 Jan 2018 23:10:11 GMT

@pgn wrote:
@Trust me to make a sweeping generalisation, @Glory1

Well @pgn there's always got to be one bu**er hasn't there

Re: How Much/Many of your Mobile Functions do you Use?

pgn — Sun, 21 Jan 2018 23:09:52 GMT

@Glory1 wrote:
Well @pgn there's always got to be one bu***er hasn't there

... bubbler? @Glory1

Re: How Much/Many of your Mobile Functions do you Use?

Glory1 — Sun, 21 Jan 2018 23:11:22 GMT

Mmmm not even close @pgn 😂

Re: How Much/Many of your Mobile Functions do you Use?

Glory1 — Sun, 21 Jan 2018 23:39:30 GMT

@jonsie you've mentioned some apps I've actually disabled as I have no use for them. Word, Powerpoint, Excel and the Health app. I don't use Samsung music, as I rely totally on Amazon, nor do I use the Galaxy apps all hidden away. Also forgot my British Gas app which I do use to pay my bill and is in the secure folder.

I also didn't mention that I pay my rent using digital banking, order my shopping through Waitrose.com and get my laundry collected and delivered using Whatsapp, again all through my phone.

The only thing I don't use my phone for is controlling my TV or my heating. My God, I dread to think what my life would be like without my phone

This thread makes interesting reading as I see how others use their phones.

Re: How Much/Many of your Mobile Functions do you Use?

Cleoriff — Sun, 21 Jan 2018 23:41:22 GMT

@Glory1 wrote:
Mmmm not even close @pgn 😂

Must be butter then? I can't imagine @Glory1 using a swear word....

Re: How Much/Many of your Mobile Functions do you Use?

Glory1 — Mon, 22 Jan 2018 00:02:37 GMT

@Cleoriff wrote:
@Glory1 wrote:
Mmmm not even close @pgn 😂
Must be butter then? I can't imagine @Glory1 using a swear word....

Oh yeah @Cleoriff because I'm such a lady

Re: How Much/Many of your Mobile Functions do you Use?

pgn — Mon, 22 Jan 2018 07:31:23 GMT

Or changing the number of asterisks in between the u and the e...

Re: How Much/Many of your Mobile Functions do you Use?

Cleoriff — Mon, 22 Jan 2018 08:10:47 GMT

@Glory1 wrote:

This thread makes interesting reading as I see how others use their phones.

it does make interesting reading when you see what others use their phones for and remember that you use a few of those apps as well.

I use a couple of flight tracker apps.Planefinder and Flightaware. Planefinder allows you to track a flight from the minute it takes off to when it lands. Very handy when picking up friends and family from the airport. (It was a bit worrying for my husband though when suddenly my plane from Malaga went off radar as I was coming to land in Birmingham. He then saw it was diverted to Manchester due to fog) At least I could text him once landed to keep him updated. So my mobile was very handy on that occasion.

I do use the phone as an alarm clock but mute it for calls, texts and other notifications. .

I use FilmOn. An app which allows you to watch UK TV channels when you have no access to a TV or are abroad.

Re: How Much/Many of your Mobile Functions do you Use?

welshsteve76 — Mon, 22 Jan 2018 09:21:27 GMT

I don't do social media, so when I upgraded my phone in 2016 to a OnePlus 3T I was pleasantly surprised to see that unlike other android phone manufacturers, I didn't have facebook, twitter, isntagram etc all pre-installed on the phone. You know, the apps the manufacturer "thinks" you want, but don't allow you to remove!!!

I use my phone for the obvious: Phone calls, texts, email, listening to music, the odd bit of web browsing, taking pictures, and the odd game. Other than that, I access apps for shopping, checking the weather, news, O2 stuff (Priority and MyO2).