apple news/media reports
09/28/2007, 1:20pm, EDT
Friday, September 28th
iPhone causing users to ditch landlines
A new study from Consumer Insights reveals that a growing number of Americans are choosing to ditch their landline telephone service in favor of mobile devices, with a primary driver being the iPhone. "Flashy, do-it-all handsets like Apple's iPhone have increased awareness and demand for extra features. In fact, since its release, Wireless Toyz' (who funded the study) sales of smart phones (for example: BlackBerry, Treo, Upstage, Q and Chocolate) have increased," said officials from Consumer Insights. The study broke down mobile phone functionality feature-by-feature, exploring which were most important to those who have severed their landline ties: Caller ID - 78 percent; Camera - 58 percent; Ring tones - 56 percent; Text messaging - 55 percent.
The study also claims that increased demand for feature-rich devices and emerging content indicates a shift in consumers' cell phone decision-making process is on the horizon. "This is an interesting time to be in the wireless industry," said Kuperstein of Wireless Toyz. "As handsets begin to drive purchasing decisions, customers are demanding a greater selection of mobile phones and calling plan options. This suggests a shift from cost to features when selecting and purchasing a cell phone."
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...and hayesk, how do you figure? I suppose a family might find a bunch of cellphones to be too expensive, but otherwise it still seems to me that all the benefits would make a landline unnecessary.
If I were to buy a cell phone for each of us, I'd probably be looking at $100 a month, plus I'd have to worry about 4 separate chunks of hardware to replace, PLUS I'd have to worry about keeping all the phones changed, *PLUS* I'd have to count minutes, **PLUS** I'd need to live in a place that has decent cell coverage. Just as not everyone lives where they can get high-speed, not everyone lives where they can get reliable cell coverage.
I haven't had a landline for 9 years now_
The iPhone may have merely caused a resurgance in the migration from landline use_ Nothing more_
I can be traveling anywhere and a client can get ahold of me without the need for them to leave a message and then I have to call in to retrieve the message and then call them back_