Posts Tagged ‘cellphone’
The Cell Phone Revolution
Everyone agrees that the cell phone has changed the way we live today. It is easy for everyone to own a cell phone today also. It does not cost much to keep them in service and they are cheap to buy. It has now happened before that so many people around the world have had their own phone number. Shockingly there are more cell phone owners than there are television or car owners. The US and Canada have about 75% penetration, while countries in Europe have 140%. It is perdicted that by the end of 2008 half the population in the world will own cell phones.
Africa is reportedly the fastest growing cell phone market on the planet. In some African countries, cell phone ownership is growing at a rate of 100% every year. The network giant, Vodafone, recently conducted a study into cell phone use in Africa. They found that Africans generally believed cell phones led to an increase in profits for business. For many African businesses, the cell phone provides the only means of communications where landline infrastructure is unreliable or non existent. Indeed, all over the developing world the march toward 100% penetration is on with a vengeance. Some of the most heavily populated countries like China and India are seeing the volumes of new cell phone subscribers every month that exceed the total population of some European countries.
The whole world loves cell phones. A lot of people think of them as an extension of their personality. You can customize your cell phone to your preferences. You can also get great accessories. Companies that make ring tones are doing well lately.
Even beyond the concept of planned obsolescence, cell phones represent disposable technology. Handsets run an 18-month replacement rate, and people often change just because they are tired of the phone. The lure of a new release, with more bells and whistles, often motivates their decision making process. Some buy new phones because they lose or break the old ones, but more often than not, it is the desire to have the updated capability that drives their decisions. Manufacturers of cell phones are working overtime to accomodate customers, and are updating their products at a rapid pace. This in turn feeds the consumer need for newness, and the phones are being replaced as quickly as the new designs are available.
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Who owns a cell phone is becoming less and less associated with class and income. Whether a person is rich or poor no longer is an indication of whether they are in possession of a cell phone. There have been reports of the world’s most disenfranchised people owning cell phones even if they own little else. In America there are many instances of homeless people owning cell phones and around the world even people deemed to be victims of famine, own perfectly functioning cell phones.
The cost of owning a cell phone keeps getting lower. In the last ten years the price of a handset has dropped fifty percent. The competition between companies is fierce with a variety of offers being made to attract consumers. Many who could not afford a cell phone now are able to buy used ones at a fraction of the cost.
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