For most of us, it’s necessity to have our smartphone attached to us. The days of digging through pockets for pay phone change are long gone (yay!). Yes, the smartphone has changed our lives. From the way we shop, to the way we work and learn, the smartphone has transformed the face of modern technology. We are truly in the midst of a mobile revolution.
Travel the High-Speed Highway
In the past, a mobile phone was just a device used to make calls on the go. Nowadays, your mobile phone is a miniature computer, using speeds up to three times faster than many home computers. Waiting for sluggish mobile connections and slow loading pages is a thing of the past. Lightning fast online speeds, like a 4G LTE connection, ensures that we get the information we want, when we want it. The icing on the cell phone? They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, complemented with countless accessories to tailor your smartphone experience.
Enjoy Non-Stop Shopping
Shopaholics have great reason to celebrate the smartphone. Apps like eBay and Amazon have made it easier than ever to satisfy your craving to buy something new. Smartphones have changed the way consumers purchase goods by giving them access to almost every store they can think of. A study by comScore found that 55 percent of all time spent shopping at online retailers took place on a mobile device.
Don’t Get Lost Again
Thankfully, there’s no need to track down a gas station for directions anymore (yay, again!). The smartphone has dramatically improved the way we travel. Smartphones come preloaded with apps like Google Maps, containing navigation to guide you to your destination.
Major cities offer apps like NextBus, boasting the ability to tell you where your bus is in real-time. For those of us living in smaller towns, check the app store. Many of them are following suit. Damon Darlin’s New York Times article includes suggestions for must-have transportation apps.
Itching for a little vacation? Major airlines also have their own apps. For instance, Delta Airlines’ app allows you to find, compare, and book flights. You can also pay for checked bags, change your seat, and even save a photo to remember where you parked.
Hold a Mobile Reunion
It’s not the type of reunion your grandparents held, but by using the smartphone, if you’re missing family and friends, you can visit from anywhere — without being there. The smartphone has revolutionized the way we communicate. Phone calls have become video chats, texts, and emails. With the onset of social media, people are communicating instantly all over the world.
One in every five people in the world own a smartphone. More 250 million of those people access Facebook and other social media sites on a regular basis, sharing their status with family and friends, advertising for their businesses, and meeting new people.
Use Your Smartphone for Smart Business
The smartphone has altered the business world, too. The days of face-to-face business are dwindling. Now, we choose to do business from the comfort of — well, pretty much anywhere. An article on Business Wire, shows that 66 percent of business owners use mobile technology. With the ever-changing modern world, the smartphone for business is a must. Tech savvy business owners use apps like Google Drive, Docusign, and Square Register to track spending and increase productivity.
The use of smartphones is growing rapidly. Up 15 percent from the previous year, smartphones now represent 24 percent of all mobile phones around the world. You can expect that number to grow in the coming years. Some see the excess of information that the smartphone provides as a negative. A study done by Columbia University found that we are less likely to retain information, knowing we can effortlessly regain it. However, whether you’re a smartphone fan or not, it’s here to stay.
As technology advances, the smartphone advances right along with it. So if you’re not up-to-date, you still have time. You just might find that you enjoy the modern-day benefits of the smartphone.
Guest article written by: Joe Fortunato is a freelance writer from Tampa, Florida. He enjoys learning about new subjects, following his Baltimore Orioles, and traveling the country for fishing. You can find Joe on Twitter at @joey_fort.